Wassoulou music

Wassoulou is a genre of West African popular music, named after the region of Wassoulou.[1] It is performed mostly by women, using lyrics that address women's issues regarding childbearing, fertility and polygamy. Instrumentation includes soku (a traditional fiddle sometimes replaced with modern imported instruments), djembe drum, kamalen n'goni (a six-stringed harp), karinyan (metal tube percussion) and bolon (a four-stringed harp). The vocals are typically passionate, emphatic and in a call-and-response format. Prominent artists include Oumou Sangaré, Coumba Sidibe, Dienaba Diakite, Kagbe Sidibe, Sali Sidibe, Jah Youssouf, and Fatoumata Diawara. Several of these prominent artists perform on an album called The Wassoulou Sound: Women of Mali.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jon Lusk (5 June 2009). "Coumba Sidibe: Malian singer who helped to popularise West African Wassoulou music". The Independent. Retrieved 29 May 2014.