The Songstress of Wassoulou: how Oumou Sangaré transformed African music
The music of Mali, in West Africa, has always been incredibly diverse and captivating. From the ethereal sounds of Malian kora to the beginnings of African guitar music, the region has produced a wealth of groundbreaking artists over the years. Often, though, the music scene of Mali and West Africa as a whole is often dominated by male musicians. Tragically, a life in music is not something that is often afforded to the women of Mali. Thankfully, artists like Oumou Sangaré exist to tear down those barriers and promote a vibrant new age of Malian music.
Born into a musical family in the Wassoulou region of modern-day Mali, Sangaré always seemed destined to achieve musical excellence. Her childhood was characterised by strong female role models, particularly her mother, who Sangaré left school at an early age to help support the family. Meanwhile, the budding young vocalist was already making a name for herself in childhood, singing in local talent competitions and emerging victorious from more than a few. There was no doubting the gifts of the singer, but few could have predicted how she would change the landscape of West African music forever.
After years of touring around West Africa, rubbing shoulders with musicians and honing her vocal craft, Sangaré began to release music during the early 1990s. Her debut album Moussolou, released in 1991, took the music scene of Mali by storm, opening up an entirely new world of defiant female-led music. The record and the singer’s career as a whole were instrumental in establishing Wassoulou music, which dragged the traditional music of West Africa firmly into the modern age.
In essence, Wassoulou music is storied by strong female vocalists, like Sangaré, and a blending of traditional instrumentation with more modern influences. Sangaré was certainly a pioneer in this field, and she attracted a fair amount of criticism from musical purists at the time, who thought she was diluting the strong traditions of Malian music. In contrast, the blending of new and old that Sangaré helped to popularise was essential in the development of West African music, introducing the traditional sounds of the region to an entirely new generation.
So much of what Sangaré does is born from an utter adoration for West African music. In fact, the singer once revealed to Al Arabiya, “My main inspiration throughout my career has been the music from Mali and Wassoulou – a region of Mali where I am originally from – and historically its cultural richness and heritage.”
She went on to add, “African music is the origin of everything. I’ve toured all around the world, and I can see that African music is everywhere. I guess different audiences also notice this African seed in the music they get used to listening to.”
It is certainly difficult to disagree with the singer there. If you examine the exact origins of each and every popular music scene of the past century, you will likely find that most of them trace back to traditional African folk music. Nevertheless, it is thanks to figures like Sangaré that the music of the region remains so captivating and relevant in the modern day. On top of that, the singer has regularly used her platform as one of the most respected modern artists in Africa to highlight vital cultural and political issues.
Namely, Sangaré has always advocated for more women in music. In doing so, the vocalist has inspired thousands of young women and girls, both in Africa and further afield, to pursue a life of artistry and expression when, previously, such avenues would not be open to them. Even outside the realm of music, the vocalist has dedicated countless hours to advocating for a ban on child marriage and polygamy, issues which run depressingly rampant across Mali.
There is no doubt that, without the pioneering music and influence of Oumou Sangaré, the cultural landscape of modern-day Mali would look very different. For the past three decades, the vocalist has worked tirelessly to change perceptions of her local area and, in doing so, has spawned a plethora of future artists to follow in her footsteps.
