African Singer Oumou Sangare

This script is for a show I will be performing. Its a great way to share, in written form, the work of Oumou Sangare here on Vocal media

(Scripting leaves extra space for the occasional improvisation)

HELEN: 2 Minutes 5 seconds

Hello and welcome to the programme. We’re going be listening to the music of Oumou Sangare, a Wassoulu singer from West Africa, born Feb. 25, 1968 in Bamako, Mali. Wassoulou music, is a style which developed in the 70’s in Bamako, it’s derived from Malian “hunters” music. This ancient musical tradition has characteristic styles, rhythms and instruments that Sangare has often mixed with modern influences in her music, as is common with the Wassoulou style of popular music. The “kamale ngoni” or youth harp, is an instrument common to Wassoulou music, originally derived from the ancient hunters instrument “dondo ngoni”. “Kamale ngoni” often appears in Sangare’s musical arrangements.

Sangare’s characteristic singing style with fast runs which incorporate the rhythmical use of words and phrases has emerged from the Wassoulou style. Many of her predecessors in the Wassoulu tradition were women with strident inspiring voices, skilled at fast verbal delivery and respected within the tradition. I’d like to play a track now from Coumba Sidibe, one of Sangares predecesssors, this appears on the compilation album “Divas of Mali” Released by Shanachie Entertainment in 2005. The title is “Wary”

“Wary”: 1 min

Coumba Sidibe

Album-“Divas Of Mali”

2005

Shanachie Entertainment

HELEN: 2 min 10 seconds

“Wary” as you heard has that wonderful characteristic repetition found in the hunters music of Mali, it’s soothing, it’s mesmeric and relaxing to listen to. I particularly like the traditional chorus of women’s voices. This arrangement has a guitar and other electric instruments which is typically Wassoulou. Wassoulou singers are mainly female, as is common in the Mande region, for example with the jelimousoulou, female singers from the ancient jeli specialist musician caste of Mali. These singers, like the Wassoulou women singers, are known for song lyrics which often express the subservient position of women in married life. Women singers in Mali often use their song lyrics to draw attention to the woman’s role in marriage, as Mali’s society gives women less priveliges than men.

Next we’re going to hear a song from another predecessor of Sangare, Sali Sidibe. This track “Wale Gnouma Don” has a more traditional colour to the arrangement. This was released by Stern’s Music in 1991.

“Wale Gnouma Don”: 1 min

Sali Sidibe

Album “The Wassoulou Sound: Women of Mali”

1991

Stern's Music

HELEN: 2 minutess 45 seconds

When she was a young girl Sangare earned her living, and helped support her siblings, by singing at traditional Sumu events in Mali’s capitol city Bamako such as weddings and child blessings. Her mother was a singer, too, so this was a natural choice for making a living. Sangare took naturally to singing, and learned her trade

Through frequent wedding gigs.

Sangare was eventually talent spotted and brought into a troop called “Djoliba Percussions”. They were a dance troop touring Europe and the Carribbean.

Her next big step musically was to record “Moussolou” which means, women. Sangare developed her style using, as mentioned, the “kamale ngoni”, a six stringed harp associated with Wassoulou tradition. She also used a violin to suggest the Wassoulou bowed lute, a scraper and electric guitar and bass. To set up call and response sections she used a female chorus, an that’s common to West African musical arrangements.

This album was released in 1991 amongst civil unrest in Mali, at a time when

General Moussa Traore’s 23 year reign was about to fall. Civil rights were on the agenda, and Sangare’s album highlighted women’s issues. Sangare has a reputaion for being a champion of women’s rights in Mali. She says this passion for women’s rights all started when her father left her and her mother, and disappeared from their lives, although later in her life she reconnected with her father and made her peace with him.

I will be playing two tracks from “Moussolou” which was released in 1989 by Cantos. The first one is called “Woula Bara Diagna”, produced by Amadou BaGuindo at JBZ studios Abidjan, Ivory Coast. As you will hear, drawing on her predecessors, Sangare begins to demonstrate her own style in this album.

“Woula Bara Diagna” 1 min

Album “Moussolou” (women)

1990

Amadou BaGuindo

JBZ studios Abidjan

Ivory Coast

HELEN: 2 minutes

As mentioned earlier, Oumou Sangare has always championed women’s rights. Her father leaving her mother for another woman when she was still a child made her aware of the difficulties a single woman with a child could have in Africa. This is a quote form Sangare’s My Space page:

Oumou continues the battle to encourage equality between men and women and sings about universal themes in life such as love, death, destiny, respect for each other, hope and harmony, not forgetting a couple of light-hearted tunes about the fun things in life. (Myspace)

It’s interesting to note that women singers in the Wassoulou style, generally earn more money than the men and attract much more attention. The role of the men is to form a backing band for the women. In Mali’s society women have a lower status than men, in fact it is common in the lyrics of Sumu wedding songs to hear the phrase “The woman is a slave in marriage” (Duran) And now to my next track.

“Diya Gneba gnobi” 1 minute

Album “Moussolou”

HELEN: 2 minutes 20 seconds

In Sangare’s own words she describes her feelings about the rich and varied music of her homeland. Mali is indeed a country that has produced many great musician’s. The following is a quote from Sangare’s herself

“Mali is a country of oral tradition, which explains why music and society here are part of each other. The 32 different ethnic groups here each have their own well-developed culture. They don’t need each other to make good music, even though cross-fertilisation is always good. There should still be a lot more recognition for Malian music. I deeply respect each individual artist in Mali. Our potential is incredible. Mali and its music embody the symbol of a free and victorious Africa.” (Myspace)

Sangare’s albums following “Moussoulou” were “Ko Sira” (1993) and “Wootan” in 1996. These albums both drew from worldwide popular music styles but managed to maintain a distinctly African sound.

US Sax player Pee Wee Ellis was featured on “Worotan”, bringing a touch of American soul to the album. Although my favourite track on the album is the first one, “Kun Fe Ko” which is acoustic with traditional instruments. My next track is in fact “

Kun Fek O” from “Worotan”

“Kun Fek O” 1 minute

Album “Worotan”

July 1996

World Circuit

Helen: 2 minutes 40 seconds

Sangares last album released in 2009 on world circuit is called “Seya”. My last choice will be a song from “Seya”. This track, in my view, has a very good balance between the modern, and the ancient musical tradition of the hunters in terms of arrangement and the instruments used. It also has a beat reminiscent of reggae. I would also recommend “Sounsoumba” which has a fascinating introduction with a mix of traditional percussion instruments that really draws the listener into the song.

Wassoulou music is known for it’s expression of gender issues, and as the singers are primarily female, as I’ve mentioned, women’s rights are often expressed in the lyrics. This is quote from Sangare about “Seya”. Here she expresses her admiration for women.

“The track ‘Seya’ is about a girl who has a good time. She brings joy. It’s dedicated to my tailors and my stylists and those that dye the cloth. I wanted to show the courage of Malian women. They radiate every color on this earth. I go to them for my hand-printed outfits in ‘bazin’ and ‘tissu wax’ fabrics. I give a lot of my clothes away, I don’t keep them.”

Myspace March 2012.

“Seya” 1 minute

Album, “Seya”

2009

World Circuit

Oumou Sangare’s Myspace page March 2012

http://www.myspace.com/oumousangare

Brittanica online March 2012

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1734412/Oumou-Sangare?anchor=ref1111502

Duran, Lucy (2000) Women, music and the “mystique” of hunters in Mali. In:Monson,I, (ed), The African Diaspora: a musical perspective. Garland Publishing (NY). pp. 137-86.