The World Music series has become an integral tradition at the Liepāja Concert Hall, and we shall celebrate it at the 10th Anniversary Festival with the legendary Grammy Award winning artist Oumou Sangaré, a voice that resonates far beyond her homeland of Mali. She is an icon of African music, the Songbird of Wassoulou, and a passionate human rights activist whose positive energy and powerful lyrics will gift us with an unforgettable evening of music and emotion.

Sangaré grew up in poverty and understood the importance of women's rights issues from an early age. She was only two years old when her father left the family, leaving her mother alone raising four children. She helped her mother sell small bags of water in the street, and, at the age of five, she began singing at ceremonies that took place right there in the street. Little Oumou’s outstanding singing was noticed and, upon the release of her debut album Moussolou, her career took off internationally.

In 2009, Sangaré was nominated for the Grammy Award for her album Seya, and, in 2011, she received the prestigious award as the co-creator of a cover version for John Lennon’s legendary ‘Imagine’. Sangaré has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages, from the Sydney Opera House to the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and has collaborated with prominent artists like Herbie Hancock, Seal, and P!nk. She has inspired stars like Alicia Keys, Aya Nakamura, and Beyoncé, who used a fragment from Sangaré’s song ‘Diaraby Nene’ for her soundtrack for the 2019 film ‘Lion King’.

Success has not made Sangaré forget her roots, and gender equality is still an important topic in her songs. She has been actively working in this field, supporting women and children in need through her foundation for 10 years. She is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and a Commander of the National Order of Mali. As one of the currently most famous African singers, she promotes African values and spreads awareness of Wassoulou music.

Wassoulou music is a West African folk music genre, which originated in the Wassoulou region of southern Mali, deeply ingrained in its culture. Its tradition stems from hunters’ songs and melodies of ancient griots (West African traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers), narrating everyday life, love, social themes, and popular wisdom. In addition to a strong vocal tradition and percussion rhythms, the music uses the 6-string harp kamele n'goni, a typical instrument of the region. Sangaré is known as the queen of this genre and has made significant contributions to the development of Wassoulou music by modernizing it with elements of blues, folk, and rock.

At the concert in Liepāja, we will hear songs from the singer’s latest album Timbuktu (2022), which critics consider her most powerful, deep, and lyrical record. Sangaré says: ‘Music is within me, without it, I am nothing, and nothing can take it away from me! I have put my life into this record, all my life, this life in which I have known hunger, the humiliation of poverty and fear, and from which today I draw glory.’

Artists:

Oumou Sangaré, lead singer
Julien Pestre, guitar
Elise Blanchard, bass guitar
Abou Diarra, kamele n'goni
Jon Grandcamp, drums
Kandy Guira, backing vocals
Emma Lamadji, backing vocals
Alexandre Millet, keyborads

Sound engineer Eric Peycelon