Ramatou Diakate

Ramatou Diakite grew up in one of Africa's richest musical environments, the Wassoulou region of southern Mali. Renowned for its ancient spiritual traditions, magic, and hunters' lore, Wassoulou has also produced the bluesiest, funkiest traditional pop music in modern Mali. Ramatou broke onto the scene in the wake of singer Oumou Sangare's spectacular rise in the early 90s. Oumou's bold fusion of roots and pop, and her willingness to sing honestly about the challenges facing African women marked a generation. In her own time, Ramatou set out to go further, edging towards hip-hop on her first international album, and going on to create music unlike anything heard before in Mali or elsewhere. A soulful, standout singer in a nation of standout singers, Ramatou is now poised to share her path-breaking music with a worldwide audience.