This song is about men who make girls fall in love with them with sweet talks and lies. They are womanisers who make false promises to women to entice them and destabilise them.
Stop lying to me, womanisers; don't mess me about Stop lying to me, womanisers; don't mess me about
You can have fun and remain serious; love is hard and I'm missing my lover My love and soulmate, I'm thinking of you and feeling heartache When I'm travelling, I miss my lover and soulmate a lot When I go to Bamako, I suffer heartache from missing my love and soulmate
Chorus: Stop deceiving me for nothing, you are so far away Stop deceiving me, womanisers; don't mess me about
My little sister, they will tell you lie after lie after lie... The player will mess with you, give you hope and deceive you Little sister, he will fool you, fool you and fool you... He will make you dizzy, mess you around and deceive you, eh! You will not see it coming! Little sister, he will fool you, fool you, fool you, fool you and deceive you The player will mess you around, destabilise you and deceive you He will mess you around, raise your hopes then make you desperate Eh Allah!
I greet Malians, Sangaré Oumou says good evening to you I greet all men, I greet the womanisers Sangaré Oumou say hi to you I greet all Malians...
Quit lying to me, don't deceive me; don't destabilise me, player I don't like that
Stop deceiving me for nothing, you are so far away Stop deceiving me, players; don't mess me about
You call other people's daughters a whore; do you know what yours will become? Don't call someone else's son a drug addict, as you don't know the fate of your own Don't call someone else's son a womaniser, as you don't know the fate of your own Don't call someone else's son a drunk, as you don't know the fate of your own
Stop deceiving me for nothing, you are so far away.
Oumou sings here about the family name, which is a very important aspect of Malian culture. It proves a person's bond with an ethnic group and determines their standing in the traditional society. The surname is also the basis of the "Sanankounya", a custom of insulting or teasing someone within your own family or ethnic group, which is a real factor of social cohesion in the Mande area. That is why, a Peulh will not dishonour a Blacksmith and vice versa. People of caste will not shame the noble; and the noble will not insult people of caste. The Bozo will not dishonour the Dogon; and the Dogon will not bring shame on a Bozo. The Soninké will not be disparaging to a Malinké; and the Malinké will not dishonour the Soninké. Oumou also sings about her joy of having friends all over Africa and beyond.
Tell me about your father’s family name My father’s family name is Sangaré, he is a real Sangaré And that has not changed Tell me about your mother’s family name My mother’s family name is Diakité, she is a Diakité A true Fula, and that has not changed Tell me about your son’s family name My son’s family name is Haidara, he is a Haidara A true Sherif*, and that has not changed
Tell me where your friends are from, where your true friends are My friends live in Senegal, some are from Burkina I have true friends in Mali and that has not changed Tell me where your friends are from, where your true friends are My friends live in Niger, some are from Cameroon .
I have true friends in Nigeria and that has not changed Tell me where your friends are from, where your true friends are My friends live in Guinea, some are from Côte d’Ivoire I have true friends in France and that has not changed
Let me tell the world the party has started The Sanankounya** party has started In the world and in the great Mali Everyone carries their own identity
A Numu (blacksmith)*** will never dishonour a Fula and a Fula will not shame a blacksmith People of caste will not shame the noble and the noble will not be disobliging towards caste people. The Bozo will not dishonour the Dogon and the Dogon will not bring shame on a Bozo. The Soninké will not be disparaging to a Malinké and the Malinké will not dishonour a Soninké. Everyone carries their own identity
A daring statement expressing sensual love. The song caused a sensation when it was unleashed into a traditionally conservative society. Its huge popularity showed how the lyrics resonated with Oumou’s newly acquired audience.
Oh my love good-bye
My love, wait for me here, don’t dwell on sad thoughts.
My love, wait for me here, it is terribly cold.
Yes, the cold is so great.
Oh Lord the cold is bad here.
My friends the shivers of love hurt.
Dear fathers, please excuse me,
Dear mothers, hands on hips, forgive me.
Dear singing griots, please forgive me.
When I say cold, I do not mean the chill of the rain.
When I say cold, I do not mean the chill of the cool season.
When I say cold, I do not mean the rainy season.
When I say cold, I mean the shivers of love.
* My confident, it is terrible being so close, love is powerful.
The cold is bad, don’t you know?
The cold is so terrible.
Greetings, Gassama Diabi. Yes, Gassama
Diabi, in life we must help each other.
Gassama Diabi, you give me the support I need.
Son of Massiré Gassama*, I greet you too.
Oh! Son of Awa Doucouré*, I greet you.
Oh! Husband of Aissa Soukouma* I greet you.
Awa Soucko, in life we must help each other.
Massiré Gassama, life is also full of rejoicing.
And thanks Amady*, you give me the support I need.
Love those who love you.
Be close to your loved ones.
Oumou loves anyone who loves her too.
Don’t waste time with trouble makers.
I tell you Gassama Diabi, to become too close is to pity.
But Gassama Diabi, I ignore fools,
Gassama Diabi, I am afraid of this cold, oh Lord.
So, Gassama Diabi, life is also full of rejoicing.
Gassama Diabi, it’s terrible being so close
Love is so powerful.
Don’t dwell on sad thoughts.
My love, wait for me here, the shivering is so strong.
The day I went – oh Lord each to his destiny
I entered my beloved’s room.
He lay silent and still.
I put my foot on his, both his feet were cold.
And then, I put my hand on his, his entire body was cold.
I put my hand on his chest and it was cold
At last, I put my hand on his stomach, my entire body was cold.
Cold with love, this cold heat is too much.
Love does not stop the arguments.
Don’t dwell on sad thoughts.
Oh! Good-bye my love.
Gassama Diaby, until we meet again.
Good-bye my love.
Good-bye my love.
Good-bye my love.
*Cold is synonymous with passion and heat in this song *Gassama Diabi – a great friend who supported Oumou in the past *Awa Doucouré, Aïssa Soukouma and Awa Souko – Gassama’s wives *Amady – Gassama’s father.
Oumou pays tributes here to her mother Aminata Diakité who was also a singer and who taught Oumou a lot of things. She compares her to a lioness and describes her as a great singer with an incomparably good heart. The singer praises the woman who would not hesitate to take care of the poor, the deprived, the sick and orphans.She might have suffered in life,but she always remained dignified and generous with people. She would even take her breast from her own child's mouth to feed other people's children. Oumou also thanks her mother for all the things she did for her, the daughter.
Chorus: Ah Minata the lioness, there is no one like my mother
Numu Tènèn’s daughter Minata, the lioness with no equals in Wassulu Madio Salimou’s lioness, you are incomparable Lioness! Minata Sidiki’s lioness, she has no equals Lioness! Diakité Sekoba’s lioness, she is incomparable
Diakité Mamadou’s mother, lioness, she is incomparable Sangaré Faly’s mother, lioness, she is incomparable Lioness! Sangaré Oumou’s mother, the lioness, my mother has no equals
Sangaré Maissata’s mother, the lioness with no equals Lioness! Diakité Mamadou’s mother, lioness, she is incomparable
Diakité Bakari’s mother, lioness, Mina is incomparable Lioness! Diakité Benogo’s mother, lioness, she is incomparable
Ma Sangaré’s mother, lioness, Mina is incomparable Lioness! Ah Minata, you bring hope to the hopeless. Thank you Hey
Minata, you take care of the poor. Thank you Ah Minata, you bring hope to the orphans. Thank you
Hey Minata, you console the sick. Thank you Ah Minata, you take care of the poor. Thank you Hey Minata, you take care of
yours and other people’s children
Ah, my mother used to buy and sell at the market She used to go to Koniakari market She used to go to markets Kayes-ba
She used to go to markets in Abidjan
She used to go to markets in Bamako She used to go to markets in Timbuktu Mmm, my mother has no equals
I sing this part for all the mothers If your mother does not do something for you She will do something to you Numu Tènèn’s daughter Minata, you did a lot for me Solomini’s Mineta, you did a lot for me Mmm, thank you so much mum
Minata, you never accepted to betray your dignity in Bamako Minata, you did not accept anything else but decent work Minata who would take her breast out of her own child's mouth and breastfeed other people's children.
Numu Tènèn’s daughter, thank you for everything
Numu Tènèn’s daughter Minata, thank you so much Mmm, my mother, my mother, thank you
In this song, Oumou speaks about death. She laments the passing of Amadou Ba Guindo, member of the Orchestre National Badema and one of the architects of her rise to fame. He had put together a very talented band to accompany Oumou on her first album Moussolou.
O death; O death
Death is so harsh
Death is so cruel
Death who struck down Amadou Ba Guindo
But death spares no creature
Nothing can stop it
Not even fame
Or having many children
Great riches and many friends
Amadou is gone
And when I go to Douentza I will not see him again
He will never be seen again in Bamako
In Douentza, Tenin Ongoïna cries for you
Whilst in Bamako, Amadou cries for you
As Adja' cries for you
Your widow Fanta cries for her missing husband
For Guindo has disappeared, struck down by treacherous death
In Bamako your old friend Alou Traoré misses you
How bitter is death, how bitter separation
It is hard to break the links (of friendship)
How it is hard to be separated from one's people, Guindo
But death spares no one
The Grim Reaper of hope did not spare Amadou Ba Guindo
If it did not spare the Prophet Mohammed
Just as it struck down Amadou Cherif
Leaving his father Bouba in pain
May his soul rest in peace
How harsh is separation, how harsh death
And merciless death strikes without distinction
Villainous death crouches at a bend in the path
Lying in wait for us
May God preserve us from it
But death spares no one
It strikes in the prime of life
Perfidious death crouches at a bend in the path
O death; O death
You did not spare Guindo
No creature can escape you
O death, O death, how you are cruel
("It's good", although a better translation would be "Ungrateful", as this is the main topic of the song)
Ingratitude is all around us. Continue to do good deeds, because it is rewarding in the end. Although there will always be people who do not show appreciation for the good things you do for them. There are ungrateful people everywhere: among your neighbours, your work colleagues, in your family, your own spouse. They can easily make you regret your good deeds. But let’s continue to be good to others.
It is right to do good around
By Allah, it is right to do good around
It is in the conversation of the elders under the tree
There is goodness in the evening conversations of the old women
By Allah, it is right to spread goodness around
By Allah, it is right to do good around
You may show kindness to someone
But the ungrateful neighbour would not acknowledge it
You may be good to your brothers or sisters
But the wicked siblings would not acknowledge it
You may do good deeds in your marriage
But the unkind spouse would never acknowledge it
You may show kindness to colleagues at work
But the bad spiteful co-workers would not acknowledge it
By Allah, it is right to spread goodness around
There is goodness in the evening conversations of the old women What makes me want not to do good around me?
Ungrateful neighbours discourage me from doing good
What makes me want not to do good, brothers and sisters?
Ungrateful of people make me turn away from doing good
What makes me want not to do good around me?
Ungrateful neighbours discourage me from doing good It is right to do good around
Chorus:
Ungratefulness is not good at all!
For Oumou, tell them! Tell them Oumou!
I don’t like ungratefulness a bit
It really makes me want not to do good around me
For Oumou, tell them! Tell them Oumou!
It goes from house to house
Going here and going there
Going here and going there
It goes from house to house
Going here and going there
Going here and going there
There goes ungratefulness...
(Bad millet grains/Slanders)
«Kounkoun» and «nyènyèn» refer to bad millet and broken millet grains. You can pound rice or millet or fonio to sort out the grains, but not with humans. Oumou uses metaphors to criticise the slanderers who would happily spread false news about you without really knowing you. She sings about the behaviour of bad spouses, malicious travelling companions, ill-intentioned neighbours and members of the family who take part in this game. She asks them to stop spreading rumours and lies.
Chorus:
Please stop slandering me, don’t spread lies about me
People, don’t you know what slanders are?
Good people of Mali, have you not heard the lies?
Don’t you know about the slanders?
My dear companions, these are slanders
They are spread by wicked co-wives
They can be spread by a bad husband
They can be spread by a jealous co-worker
They can be spread by a malicious travelling companions
Even by an ill-intentioned family member
My dear companions, these are the slanders
You can pound rice; you can pound maize, millet or fonio
To sort out the grains, but not with humans
A bad neighbour will take you apart by slandering you
Your wicked sibling is capable of slandering you
Your bad husband will slander you without a shame
]Please stop slandering me, don’t spread lies about me
I don’t want anyone to spread false news about me
I don’t want anyone to spread false news about me
People of Wassulu, don’t you know what slanders are?
Aunt Mineta, we will talk about slanders in Wassulu
People of Daoudabougou, have you not heard the lies?
Aunt Mineta, we haven’t talked about the false news
There are so many lies being spread about Sangaré Oumou
Good people of Mali, please don’t spread these lies
My dear companions, these are the slanders
Please stop slandering me, don’t spread lies about me
I don’t want anyone to spread false news about me
Please stop slandering me, don’t spread lies about me
I don’t want anyone to spread false news about me
Please stop slandering me, don’t spread lies about me
I don’t want anyone to spread false news about me
(Support or Protector)
There’s nothing better than having someone to lean on in life. When we stand firmly we thrive in life, knowing there's always someone there to support and protect us. A person, who knows they have support and protection, is afraid of nothing. A confident husband knows quite well he can lean on his strong spouse. A proud wife is also conscious of the fact that she can count on the support of a loving husband. A head of state's success is dependent on the support of his fellow countrymen. A singer is nothing without good musicians. But someone who has no-one to lean on will suffer in life.
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence
A person who has someone to lean on fears nothing
A person who has a solid support is not easily impressed
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
A person with their “backside” resting, means they have someone to lean on
An overconfident husband knows quite well he can lean on his strong spouse
An overconfident wife is also conscious she can lean on a loving husband
A head of state can only succeed with the support of his fellow countrymen
A singer with their “backside” resting means they can count on good musicians
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence
A person who has someone to lean on fears nothing
A person who has a solid support is not easily impressed
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
A person with their “backside” resting, means they have
someone to lean on
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence
A person who has someone to lean on fears nothing
A person who has a solid support is not easily impressed
A person who has someone to lean on is full of confidence
If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
A person with their “backside” resting, means they have someone to lean on
Kuy kuy kuy kuy, you have someone to lean on
Kuy kuy kuy kuy, you have someone to lean on
Kuy kuy kuy kuy, you have someone to lean on
A person with nobody to turn to will struggle in life
If you have no one to support you, you will suffer in life
If you have no one to help you, you will struggle in life
If you have no one to lean on, you will suffer in life
A person with nobody to turn to will struggle in life
If you have no one to help you, you will struggle in life
If you have no one to support you, you will suffer in life
If you have no one to lean on, you will suffer in life
Chorus:
If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
If your “backside” is resting, then you have someone to lean on
(Suicide)
Don’t kill yourself because of suffering. Life on this earth isnot easy and people will always talk ill of you, no matterwhat you do. If you kill yourself over such things, you willjust leave your loved ones behind in more pain. « I wascalled all sorts of names, but did I commit suicide? Sufferingand pain are part of life. »
Don’t kill yourself because of suffering
No-one should commit suicide because of pain
My brothers and sisters, we should not take our own lives because of suffering
My brothers and sisters, no-one should kill themselves
Life on earth is not easy, but-no one should kill themselves
Living among humans is challenging, but don't kill yourself
Today's people are not easy to live with, but don't take your own life
When you succeed among your peers, you'll suffer from their jealousy
When you become the pride of your mother, your troubles will also start
When you become the pride of your father, your troubles will also start
So why would you kill yourself and leave your children in deep sorrow?
They will be mistreated and be called "sons of a whore"
Uhumm, don't kill yourself over suffering, because it will not stop
Don’t kill yourself because of suffering
No-one should commit suicide because of pain
Don't kill yourself over suffering, uhumm
Look at me Sangaré Oumou, I did not kill myself over pain
Yébé, don't take your own life because of suffering
Humm Yébé, you should not take your own life
Madame (Mrs) Cissé, don't kill yourself over pain
Your siblings count on you, please don't take your own life
Your children love you, don't kill yourself over any kind of pain
Cissé loves you, please don't kill yourself over suffering
Your singer Sangaré loves you, don't kill yourself over suffering
So why would you kill yourself and leave us in deep sorrow?
They will be mistreated and be called "sons of a whore"
Yébé, uhumm, don't kill yourself over suffering, because it will not stop
Don’t kill yourself because of suffering
No-one should commit suicide because of pain
Seydou, don't kill yourself over suffering
Seydou Kane, please don't take your own life
Seydou of Mabine Alaher, please don't kill yourself over pain
Seydou Kane of Libreville, please don't kill yourself over suffering
Cissé Ba loves you, please don't kill yourself over suffering
Your siblings count on you, please don't take your own life
Your children love you, don't kill yourself over any kind of pain
Your fellow Malians count on you, please don't take your own life
Amadou Kane loves you, don't kill yourself over suffering
Uhmm Seydou, no-one should take their own life
You are blessed by Yacouba Kane, don't kill yourself over suffering
The whole of Nioro town loves you, don't kill yourself over suffering
So why would you kill yourself and leave your children in deep sorrow?
They will be mistreated and called sons of a womaniser
Seydou, uhumm, don't kill yourself over suffering, because it will not stop
Don’t kill yourself because of suffering
No-one should commit suicide because of pain
Have you not seen me?
I did not take my own life
Have you not heard me?
I never took my own life
They spoke ill of me; they said so many lies about me
But I did not kill myself
They lied about me being into drugs
But Oumou did not take her own life
They lied about me and pornography
But did I kill myself?
They spoke ill of me; they said so many lies about me
But Oumou did not kill herself
And why would I kill myself because of suffering and leave you in deep sorrow?
(The beautiful Mali)
In this song Oumou invites us to live life to the fullest, because it is short. She asks that we ignore the gossips that can detract us from the path to our success. She has herself been a victim of the dirty rumours several times, but she chose to carry on regardless. And she managed to tour the world, from Australia to France. Oumou also urges her fellow Malians living abroad to return to work there, because Mali is rising. She sings that gold and iron ore have been discovered and cement factories have been opened there, which is a blessing in a country under construction.
Chorus:
Mali is advancing, Malian leaders, Mali is evolving
Let’s enjoy life, because dying young is a curse
Let’s enjoy life, this world is only ephemeral
Let’s enjoy life, dear companions, life is about having fun
Let’s enjoy life, because this world is just a tale
Let’s have fun, my beloved friends, life is about having fun
Because dying young is a curse
Slander cannot kill anyone
It doesn’t stop anyone from doing what they like
Slander cannot kill anyone
It doesn’t stop you doing what you like in Wassulu
Slander cannot kill anyone, good people of Mali
But dying young is a really a curse
Mali has evolved, Maliba has evolved
I call on all Malians, wherever they are
To return home and work for the country
Factories have opened, cement is being made
Mali has evolved
Iron ore and gold have been discovered
Mali is developing
All Malians living abroad should come back home
Mali has evolved
Slander cannot kill anyone If it did,
Sangaré Oumou would have been gone by now
Slander cannot kill anyone
I still went on tour around the world
Touring in Australia, where I found success
I went on tour in France and I found success there
So, slander cannot kill anyone
If it did, Sangaré Oumou would have been gone by now
But slander cannot kill anyone
Oumou worries about today’s relationships between humans,as too often they are not genuine. “You may do good for some people, but they will be the first to join your enemies and harm you. I worry for humanity, for there are more hypocrites nowadays. When you give your trust to someone, they will not hesitate to stab you in the back at the first opportunity. Today’s human relationships lack sincerity. “
Executive production and A&R - Laurent Bizot
Artwork - Jérôme Witz
From a photo by Benoit Peverelli
Graphic design - Element(s)
Oumou Sangaré - Lead Vocal
Guimba Kouyaté - Acoustic Guitar Benogo Diakité - Kamele Ngoni
Emma Lamadji - Background Vocals
Kandy Guira - Background Vocals
Vincent Taurelle - Célesta (1,5,9,10), Organ (2,7,8,9)
Recorded by Bertrand Fresel assisted by Philippe Coisne at Studio Midi Live
Mixed by Bertrand Fresel at studio Juno
Mastered by Adrien Pallot at Chab Mastering
All songs written and composed by Oumou Sangaré
Published by Nø Førmat!
In 2017, the album Mogoya signalled the long-awaited return of Oumou Sangaré after eight long years during which the Malian singer devoted herself to managing her numerous businesses (hotels, agriculture, pisciculture, cars…). With that album, recorded in Stockholm and Paris, the woman who once sold water on the streets of Bamako and has since become a global star and prosperous businesswoman reconnected with her audience, treading a fine line between her attachment to the traditional music of Wassoulou, the region of Mali which she hails from, and technological dislocation, gracing her fans with songs whose vital force was still intact and laying bare a heart that has remained as ardent as ever.
In return, Oumou suddenly found herself propelled into a new dimension, that of pop culture. Painted by the Congolese artist JP Mika for the front cover, remixed by Sampha, St Germain, Malik Djoudi and others for the follow-up Mogoya Remixed, and even sampled by Beyoncé (‘MOOD 4 EVA’ on The Lion King: The Gift album), never before had she appeared so far removed from the land of her birth – an impression that this new ‘unplugged’ version of Mogoya, ‘Acoustic’, proposed by Laurent Bizot of the Nø Førmat! label and magnificently undertaken by the artist, is designed to rectify. The acoustic apparel of the songs restores an authenticity that comes from committing to the initial take, without any safety-net or retouching. In other words, the truth of a rare moment that’s bonded to the emotional intensity emerging from it.
“I suggested to Oumou that she record this album, which is a kind of Mogoya Volume 3, after a concert she gave in London to celebrate 15 years of No Format. At that concert, for the first time ever, she had agreed to try out this acoustic approach, which is all about letting go,” says Laurent Bizot. “The space it created for her voice was really wonderful,”. The album was recorded in two days at the Midi Live studio in Villetaneuse, in ‘live’ conditions, or rather those of an all-night vigil, without the comforts usually available in that kind of technical environment – no amplification, no retakes or overdubs, no headphones, each musician tuning into the ensemble whilst adding their own personal touch, their nuance. With this bare-bones egalitarian treatment, there emerged a group dynamic and a warmth that have become rare commodities in the music of today. Gathered around the incandescent voice of Oumou, in the same room as her, were the backing singers Emma Lamadji and Kandy Guira, the guitarist Guimba Kouyaté and the faithful Brahima ‘Benogo’ Diakité, Oumou’s cousin and virtuoso player of the kamele ngoni, who has been with her since Moussolou, the epoch-defining debut cassette she released back in 1989, at the age of 21. To this diminutive assemblage was added, on toy organ and celesta, Vincent Taurelle from the Parisian collective Albert, who made such an enormous contribution to the success of Mogoya and who, in this otherwise strictly African context, added an almost ‘exotic’ note to proceedings.
The nine songs from Mogoya that Oumou revisits in this pared-down and unplugged fashion offer her the chance, with an almost naked voice and no distractions, to evoke the bitter counterweight to her exceptional success; in other words, the jealousies, grudges, betrayals, and other scourges that this woman, often deemed too free, transgressive and downright fortunate for the profoundly conservative society to which she belongs, has had to endure for so many years. But far from cramping her style, this weave of malice seems to have stimulated her, and motivated her to reclaim the eminent role of Mali’s leading opinion-maker and influencer that she had borne since Moussolou, a cassette that sold over 250,000 copies and did so much for the feminist cause in West Africa. ‘They slandered me, and attributed the worst vices in the world to me,’ Oumou sings on ‘Yere Faga’ (‘Suicide’ in Bambara). It was from this merciless struggle against prejudice and adversity of every kind, from which she has emerged the victor, that songs like ‘Kamelemba’ (‘Playboy’), ‘Kounkoun’ (‘Bad Seeds’), ‘Mogoya’ (‘Human Relations’) and ‘Bena Bena’ (‘Ingratitude’) were moulded.
And it’s that capacity to fight her corner, to confront suffering, whilst preserving her connection to certain values essential to Malian society (‘Fadjamou’, ‘Mali Nialé’), that she celebrates in her songs, presented here in their natural state, without embellishments or added extras. It’s a corpus of pure will and revenge, to which two older compositions have been added at her suggestion: ‘Saa Magni’, in which she laments the passing of Amadou Ba Guindo, member of the Orchestre National Badema and one of the architects of her rise to fame, and ‘Diaraby Nene,’ one of the most important songs in her entire repertoire, that came wrapped in scandal, in which she dared to tell the world about the excitement of her first sensual encounters. “I wrote the lyrics when I was fifteen years old,” she remembers. “That’s when I fell in love for the first time. I sing without restraint about the caresses of my hands on the body of my love and the shivers that the contact with his skin gave me.” The song was something inconceivable in a world where reserve and modesty are mandatory, especially where women are concerned. Taken from the album Moussolou, ‘Diarabi Nene’ confronted taboos head on and made Oumou Sangaré seem like an anti-griotte, a revolutionary who had become, from one day to the next, so popular among West African youth that she would press her advantage by denouncing, without let up, female circumcision, forced marriages and polygamy, a system that was responsible for the collapse of her own family and continues to wreck thousands of lives.
Now an established artist, celebrated all over the world, Oumou Sangaré continues to explore these themes with the same sense of freedom, the same audacity that she displayed when that first cassette came out thirty years ago now. It’s the fighter, the undefeated rebel that you find here on this snapshot of an album that, in a time when music has become the hostage of endless digital manipulations, offers extra proof of her courage and generosity, the qualities of an artist who’s still in the process of growing, who’s still at the forefront of the struggle for the liberation of the African women, far beyond the confines of both tradition and modernity.
