Nahawa Doumbia

Biography

Nahawa Doumbia is one of the most popular singers from Wassoulou region in South Mali. She speaks to the younger generation of West Africa through her lyrics about love, the position of women in society, and the situation of African refugees in France. Her voice soars to Didadi, a dance rhythm from her native area. The young Malian woman was discovered by civil servants from the Ministry of Culture when she was singing with her friends. She sung at the Youth Week in Bamako in 1980, a biannual event in which artists from all of the country participated. Nahawa Doumbia won the contest with the song "Tinye De Be Laban". Since then her fame grew in Mali and Europe. She shared the stages with Manu Dibango, Toure Kunda or Miriam Makeba. In 1989 Nahawa’s first internationally released album "Didadi" came out, produced by Ibrahima Sylla and Boncana Maiga, the creators of modern Manding music. The turn of the century saw the singer being very active, releasing the widely recognized and praised album "Yaala" as well as collaborating with the popular French DJ and producer Frederic Galliano on a crossover project. In 2011 the critically acclaimed American blogger and ethnomusicologist Brian Shimkovitz chose Nahawa's early tape "La Grande Cantatrice Malienne, Vol. 3" (recorded in 1982) to become the first official release on his new Awesome Tapes From Africa label. It received rave reviews worldwide.