Quick Facts
Biography
Fatoumata Diawara (born 1982 in Ivory Coast) is a Malian musician currently living in France.
Biography
Born in Côte d'Ivoire to Malian parents, Diawara moved to France to pursue acting, appearing in Cheick Oumar Sissoko's 1999 feature film La Genèse, Dani Kouyaté's popular 2001 film Sia, le rêve du python, in the internationally renowned street theatre troupe Royal de Luxe, and played a leading role in the musical Kirikou et Karaba. She later took up the guitar and began composing her own material, writing songs that blend Wassalou traditions of Southern Mali with international influences. Noted for her "sensuous voice," she has performed or recorded with Malian and international greats such as Cheick Tidiane Seck, Oumou Sangaré, AfroCubism, Dee Dee Bridgewater (on Red Earth: A Malian Journey), and the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. The EP Kanou was released May 9, 2011, and her debut album Fatou from World Circuit Records was released in September 2011. (Nonesuch Records released the Kanou EP digitally in North America on September 27, 2011, and the album Fatou on August 28, 2012.)
In September 2012, she featured in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book. September 2012 also saw her board the Africa Express Train with Damon Albarn, Rokia Traoré, Baaba Maal, Amadou and Mariam, Nicolas Jaar, and the Noisettes, amongst many others. The show culminated in a 4.5k venue in Kings Cross where Fatoumata performed with Paul McCartney
Fatoumata has spent the recent years touring the world, with a landmark performance for the English-speaking public at Glastonbury 2013. Alongside many European gigs her schedule has taken her to South America, Asia and Australia as well as on multiple trips to the US, where in September 2013 she performed as part of the Clinton Global Initiative alongside The Roots in New York. Since mid-2014 she has been in collaboration with Roberto Fonseca, with numerous live performances and a joint live album, At Home - Live in Marciac, along the way. In 2014 she also extended her list of collaborations by a joint performance with Mayra Andrade and Omara Portuondo. February 2015 saw her first live concert as a meanwhile established international name back home at the Festival Sur Le Niger in Ségou, Mali, where she shared stage once again with her long-time friend and mentor, Oumou Sangaré, with Bassekou Kouyaté and many other domestic acts.
Alongside, she has continued her cinematic activities, with numerous roles, appearances and musical input in multiple feature films, such as the seven times César Award winning and Academy Award nominated 2014 Timbuktu.
Filmography
- 1996 : Taafe Fanga by Adama Drabo
- 1999 : La Genèse by Cheick Oumar Sissoko : Dina
- 2002 : Sia, le rêve du python by Dani Kouyaté : Sia
- 2008 : Il va pleuvoir sur Conakry, by Cheick Fantamady Camara : Siré
- 2010 : Encourage, by Eleonora Campanella
- 2010 : Ni brune ni blonde, by Abderrahmane Sissako
- 2011 : Les Contes de la Nuit, by Michel Ocelot (voice)
- 2014 : Timbuktu (Le chagrin des oiseaux), by Abderrahmane Sissako
- 2015 : Morbayassa, by Cheick Fantamady Camara : Bella
Theatre
- 1998 : Antigone by Sophocle ; adapted by Jean-Louis Sagot Duvauroux, production Sotiguy Kouyaté
- 2002-2008 : Royal de Luxe ; creator Jean-Luc Courcoult
- 2007-2008 : Kirikou et Karaba : Karaba
Discography
Albums
- 2011 : Fatou (World Circuit - Album)
- 2015 : At Home - Live in Marciac, Fatoumata Diawara & Roberto Fonseca (Jazz Village - Album)
Singles
- 2011 : Kanou EP (World Circuit - Album)
Collaborations
- 2009 : Featuring in the album Léman by Blick Bassy
- 2010 : Co-authoring and featuring in the album Debademba by Debademba
- 2010 : Featuring in The Imagine Project by Herbie Hancock
- 2010 : Featuring in the album Jamm by Cheikh Lô
- 2010 : Featuring in the song "N'fletoun" from the Djekpa La You album by Dobet Gnahoré
- 2011 : Featuring in the song "C'est lui ou c'est moi" from the Cotonou Club album by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou
- 2012 : Featuring in Rocket Juice & the Moon (Honest Jon's - Album)
- 2012 : Featuring in the song "Bibissa" from the album Yo by Roberto Fonseca
- 2012 : Featuring in the song "Nothin' Can Save Ya" from the The Bravest Man In The Universe album by Bobby Womack
- 2013 : Featuring in the song "Surma" from the Sketches of Ethiopia album by Mulatu Astatke
- 2014 : Co-authoring and featuring in the song "Timbuktu Fasso" from the Timbuktu soundtrack by Amine Bouhafa
- 2014 : Featuring in the song "It's all coming together" by Walter Hus from the soundtrack to feature film N - The Madness of Reason by Peter Krüger
With Les Balayeurs du désert
Via association with Royal de Luxe; several of the songs used to be played as accompaniment in Royal de Luxe's 'giant marionettes' street performances throughout the world.
- 2005 : Jules Verne Impact by Les Balayeurs du désert (apast - Album) (Y Danse, Hamleti...)
- 2007 : La Pequeña by Les Balayeurs du désert (Atelier de l'événement - Album) (w an early version of Salimata)