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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Oumou Sangaré| image = Sangare.jpg| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1968|02|25| death_date =| origin = Bamako, Mali | instrument =| genre = Wassoulou music | occupation = Singer | years_active =| label =| associated_acts =| website = http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Oumou_Sangare World Circuit site| notable_instruments = Oumou Sangare (born February 25, 1968, in Bamako, Mali ) is a Mali an Wassoulou music|Wassoulou musician, sometimes referred to as "The Songbird of Wassoulou." Wassoulou is a historic region south of the Niger River , and the music there is descended from traditional hunting songs, and is accompanied by a calabash . Her mother was the singer Aminata Diakité .
She is an advocate for women's rights , opposing child marriage and polygamy . http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=106392478 Oumou Sangare: Sonic And Political Muscle
Oumou Sangaré is also involved in the world of business, hotels, agriculture and the sale of cars: Oumou Sangaré has given her name to a Chinese automobile.« Oum Sang » http://www.afrik.com/article10299.html Afrik.com 23 août 2006 She is the owner of the 30-room Hotel Wassoulou in Mali's capital, Bamako, a haven for musicians and her own regular performing space. "I helped build the hotel myself. I did it to show women that you can make your life better by working. And many more are working these days, forming co-operatives to make soap or clothes."
Although she also has been a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization she still says she does not want to be a politician: "While you're an artist, you're free to say what you think; when you're a politician, you follow instructions from higher up." http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/oumou-sangare-lady-sings-the-blues-582034.html Oumou Sangare: Lady sings the blues
She is a cousin of an actor, Omar Sangare .
Early life
As a child, Oumou Sangaré sang in order to help her mother feed their family as her father had abandoned them. At the age of five, she was well known for her talents as a gifted singer. After making it to the finals of a contest for the nursery schools of Bamako, she performed in front of a crowd of 6,000 at the Omnisport Stadium. At 16, she went on tour with the percussion group Djoliba .
She then worked with Amadou Ba Guindo , a great maestro of Malian music, with whom she recorded her first album, Moussoulou ("Women"), which was very successful in Africa, with more than 200,000 copies sold.
With the help of Ali Farka Touré , Sangaré signed with the English label World Circuit (record label)|World Circuit . At the age of 21, she was already a star.
Music
Oumou Sangaré is considered an ambassador of Wassoulou; her music has been inspired by the music and traditional dances of the region. She writes and composes her songs, which often include social criticism, especially concerning women's low status in society.
Since 1990, she has performed at some of the most important venues in the world: the Melbourne Opera , Roskilde festival , festival d'Essaouira , La Monnaie|Opéra de la monnaie of Brussels .
Many of Sangaré's songs concern love and marriage, especially freedom of choice in marriage. Her 1989 album Moussoulou was an unprecedented West African hit. In 1995, she toured with Baaba Maal , Femi Kuti and Boukman Eksperyans . Other albums include Ko Sira (1993), Worotan (1996), and a 2-CD compilation Oumou (album)|Oumou (2004), all released on World Circuit Records. Sangaré supports the cause of women throughout the world. She was named an ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO in 2003 and won the UNESCO Prize in 2001 and made a commander of the Arts and Letters of the Republic of France in 1998.
Sangaré is featured prominently in http://www.throwdownyourheart.com/ Throw Down Your Heart , a documentary about world-renowned banjo player Béla Fleck , and his exploration of the relatively unknown relationship between his instrument and the musical traditions in Africa.
Sangaré contributed vocals to " Imagine (song)|Imagine " for the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, The Imagine Project along with Seal (musician)|Seal , P!nk , India.Arie , Jeff Beck , Konono N°1 and others.cite web|url= http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php? id=36827 |title=The Imagine Project |publisher=All About Jazz |date=2010-06-21 |accessdate=2010-11-29
Discography
Moussolou (1990)
Ko Sira (1993)
"Worotan" (1996), Nonesuch / Warner Music
Oumou (2003)
Seya (2009)
Prizes and awards
International Music Council|IMC -UNESCO International Music Prize (2001, performers category, jointly awarded to Gidon Kremer )cite web|title=Prize laureates 1975 - 2004|url= http://www.imc-cim.org/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=74& Itemid=1|publisher= International Music Council for her contribution to "the enrichment and the development of music as well as for the cause of peace, for the understanding among peoples and international cooperation".
On 16 October 2003, Oumou Sangaré was named FAO Goodwill Ambassador|Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.myspace.com/oumousangare Oumou Sangaré on MySpace
http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/#Oumou_Sangare::Oumou Watch official Oumou Sangaré documentary film
http://www.flyglobalmusic.com/fly/archives/africamiddle_east_city_guidesevents/podcasts.html Oumou Sangaré podcast and interview on flyglobalmusic.com
Persondata | NAME = Sangare, Oumou | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1968-02-25 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Sangare, Oumou Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Bambara-language singers Category:World Circuit artists Category:People from Bamako Category:Malian female singers
