The Unofficial Website for Fela Kuti and Afrobeat Music

CD of the month: Mogoya by Oumou Sangaré

Think of music from Mali and you think of Touareg blues from bands that get loads of publicity like Tinariwen and Chatma. The female input here is minimal. However, after an absence of eight years, Africa’s most powerful female voice is back. Besides owning a hotel and a brand of rice Oumou Sangaré is also an outstanding musician and presents her newest studio album, Mogoya.

The song that first caught my attention is a cooperation with afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. It’s only one track, and I would like to hear a full cooperation between Sangaré and Tony  Allen in the future. Oumou Sangaré herself has an amazing voice, but the backing vocals are also outstanding as well. The instrumentation is a bit more basic than on her last studio album, Seya. It’s a perfect balance of traditional and modern instrumentation, masterfully recorded. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys West-African pop music.

Album teaser below: