In 1989 Oumou Sangaré, a young twenty-one-year-old Malian singer, traveled to the JBZ studio in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to record her first cassette. Upon its release the following year, the album caused a sensation and sold over one hundred thousand copies, establishing itself as an essential record in Mali and beyond its borders. The beauty and dynamism of Oumou's voice, combined with minimalist traditional local sounds, illustrate all the mystery of the Wassoulou region, but it is above all her lyrics that are the source of such success. Oumou's songs led to a real questioning within Malian society; she empowers African women, denounces forced marriage, and does not hesitate to celebrate sensual love. World Circuit is reissuing this legendary album today in a book-and-CD format, enriched with 24 pages of text and photos. This summer, Oumou Sangaré will be on tour in France and abroad as part of the 'Les Amazones d'Afrique' project alongside other major female figures of Malian music.
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