Coumba Sidibé – Wary
I listened to Coumba every day with my mother – whether you wanted to or not, you would hear Coumba because my mother would listen to her every morning. And it was really about nostalgia for the Wassoulou. She's a lot older than me but when I saw her on stage, and she was really my idol in terms of the way she moved on stage and her use of the Wassoulou language. Because although I'm Wassoulou I was born and grew up in Bamako, I'm a girl from the capital. It was Coumba who really gave me the love of my culture. I already had the music and the culture in my blood but it was Coumba who really inspired me. On Wari she gives advice to young people about money – 'Wary' means money. She explained to young people that you shouldn't be too attached to money before you understand what it means to work for it.
Baker's Dozen
Listening To The Messages: Oumou Sangaré's Favourite Albums
Listening To The Messages: Oumou Sangaré's Favourite Albums
David McKenna
, July 10th, 2019 08:36
Malian musician Oumou Sangaré speaks to David McKenna about her favourite music, being discovered by Ali Farka Touré, and collaborating with Alicia Keys and Tony Allen