#OumouSangaré

[cato-of-blamesociety]

#Black #History #Program Performance | snippet/teaser 2 | Closing Remarks | #32weeksmixtape

On 2/28/24, I had the opportunity to perform a poem, we will call "Mustard Seed" which is actually a verse from my project #32weeksmixtape at the elementary school I work at as part of the Black History Program.

Full recording of the live performance:

#Beyoncé #TheLionKing #jayz #ChildishGambino #OumouSangaré #TheGift #blackwomen #Venus #goddess #elementaryschool #schoolcounselor #publicschool #blackhistorymonth #blackart #poetry #spokenword #singleparent #singlemomlife #singlemother

[kadysyllaofficiel-blog]

S'il vous faut être artiste, soyez-le, soyez-le de toute votre volonté, de tout votre courage, de toute l'intelligence qui est en vous. Soyez-le de votre âme et de votre vie. Soyez-le et faites des prodiges, soyez-le et faites des chefs-d'œuvre. #OumouSangaré dans la musique on a tous nos idoles et cette grande dame est mon idole un jour je serai comme toi inchallah #KadySylla excellente journée à vous Family continue de partager et de vous abonnez sur ma chaîne youtube https://youtu.be/FueoNercFBg https://www.instagram.com/p/BxMV0IdnRit/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1qt8togu3dvb1

[twistedsoulmusic]

Morning soundtrack Oumou Sangare's debut album Moussolou.

[hannahfolmer]

Afrika festival, wat was je mooi. Mag ik bij je komen wonen? #oumousangaré #afrikafestival #rokiatraore @lauribeckmans @ankievdzon (at Openluchttheater Hertme)

[thesouldiaspora]

(Natureboy Flako)

[isthespiceoflife]

Shot in Paris, this all-female Afro-futurist vid of “Kamelemba” by Oumou Sangaré n’ directed by Chris Saunders, really didn’t need any subtitles for us to get that, she gets it. ‘Hip, what’s hip? When hip’s the norm.’ She’ll be singing this song to all those ‘womanizers’!

[watchwhatyounodto]

(Natureboy Flako)

[charlielongclo-blog]

‘Songbirds and Griot Rappers: The music videos of Oumou Sangaré and Sidiki Diabaté in contemporary Malian youth culture.’

Sidiki Diabate - music of the new generation.

Sidiki is standing on a bridge in a European city looking out over the water below. As his heavily auto-tuned vocals rise and fall over a synthesised chord pattern we hear the percussive clicking of a clave in the sparse arrangement of ‘Inianafi Debena’. The camera cuts back and forth between spinning images of Sidiki on the bridge in bright sunshine and laying on a bed with a female companion. He’s then in a corridor of a studio dancing as the camera picks up on the jewellery he’s wearing. The rings, the watch, the bracelets. Thinking back to the start of the video there were fleeting glimpses of Sidiki playing his kora synced in time with the synth chords, although it is not a kora that we were hearing. This is the only visual clue we have as to his identity or musical origins… 

Sidiki Diabaté of the kora-playing Diabaté family is a prominent figure in Malian youth music. Moving away from traditional kora repertoire, Sadiki is making music for the new generation, paying full attention to streaming services and music videos as part of his brand. His image does not seem Malian, but rather influenced by current trends and tropes within the reggaeton genre. In contrast to this, Oumou Sangaré, the songbird of Wassaulou, who has long held a place in contemporary Malian youth music is also paying the same high level of attention to her music videos but with very different outcomes. In this essay I will examine how both artists are presenting themselves and their music in their music videos in an effort to stay current to the Malian youth in the face of the rise of hiphop culture and musical dominance from the USA. 

The influence of Reggaeton

Generally attributed as being a music developed in Puerto Rico, Reggaeton is characterised by its identifiable use of a variation of the trecillo rhythm called the ‘Dembow’ which arrived in Puerto Rico through Jamaican Dancehall music. Latin American brass and piano parts are added along with extra percussion, however these parts are not sampled as would be found in music stemming from the hiphop culture. The rapping vocal style and shouted backing vocals are the features however that do come directly from hiphop music, along with the fashion and visual tropes in videos that show a direct influence from the ‘Gangster Rap’ sub genre of hiphop music. 

Musically Sidiki Diabaté is most often using reduced forms of the dembow rhythm in a more minimal arrangement which clearly links his music to the reggaeton genre. Visually reggaeton videos follow a series of established tropes which are used by all of the biggest reggaeton artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, J Balvin, Wisin and Yandel. We can clearly see these in the following images taken from a broad sample online:

Fashion - watches, shoes and jewellery emphasise material wealth.  

2. Cars, boats and motorbikes - symbols of speed, power and markers of masculinity.  

3. Luxurious surroundings - mansions, home cinemas, swimming pools, large kitchens - all equating to economic success.  

4. Night clubs and dancing - promoting an image of spending money and having a good time.  

5. Women - as backing dancers with a camera focus on seductive movements, as givers of attention to the ‘star’ of the video or as their object of desire.  

6. Slow motion narrative - surrounding the star of the video and one woman, often depicting a problematic relationship that is resolved in the end.  

7. Dramatic contrast of colours - strobe lighting, bright colours juxtaposed against black or white, all creating an alternative world in which the video takes place.   

In 2017 O’Connor identified that thanks to online streaming platforms we are beginning to see a rise in music from non-anglophone countries achieving success in the pop charts. This is creating a more diverse music scene with new sub-genres and superstars emerging every year (O’Connor, 2017). With this we see the rise in new African music (sometimes mislabelled as ‘hiphop’ or ‘R&B’) sharing the trecillo based rhythms found in reggaeton which could be more accurately labeled as ‘African reggaeton’ or ‘Global Pop’. 

By examining more of Sidiki Diabaté’s music videos we clearly find all of the visual elements presented in reggaeton videos:

Fashion and wealth:  

2. Cars as a symbol of masculinity:  

3. Luxurious surroundings:  

4. Nightclubs and dancing:  

5. Women as objects of desire:  

6. Slow motion relationship narrative:  

7. Colour contrasts:     

   He uses a variation of the reggaeton dembow rhythm, however his tracks are more minimal in arrangement and specifically feature singing rather than rapping, making his music - despite the obvious influence of visual style, not reggaeton. As a hybrid genre itself reggaeton's global evolution and integration has been inevitable (Marshall. 2010), and here we find its visual aesthetic in music videos and main rhythmic elements being taken, not to form localised versions but in creating a global pop sound. Through the visual elements found in reggaeton music videos which take influence from US rap music videos, we see visuals, signs and gestures becoming elements of what Schultz describes as a global black culture, however in the ever widening field of hiphop music I believe the term global hiphop culture more appropriate. The increase in popularity of hiphop music along with its many sub-genres (reggaeton being one) can even see this new music labeled as an all encompassing ‘global pop’ genre with roots in hiphop culture. 

We can see further examples of this wider global pop scene in Africa with the artists PSquare (Nigeria) and Sarkodie (Ghana) displaying the same influences from reggaeton videos in their own work which mix rap, trap, reggaeton and pop to make a global pop sound as Sidiki Diabaté:

Cars, boats, jewellery and a power relationship over women all in high quality video format:  

   The high number of online views of these videos shows that this global pop or global hiphop culture image is popular among the youth of Africa today. However we can clearly see that national or cultural elements are not being represented in the videos or the music to the same degree as in the 1990s and 2000s with musicians such as Salif Keita, Amadou & Miriam and Oumou Sangaré. 

The Songbird of Wasulu.

Oumou is walking across a savanna. Our viewpoint flies over her at speed as we then cut to images of wildlife running and more fast, high resolution flying footage. She wears a long dress of African print and is glamorous in jewellery and make up with her hair in braids. The camera shots continue to move all around her, zooming in and out at varying speeds. The visual experience is a mixture of overhead aerial shots, close ups, slow motion, fast cuts and fades. She is the centre of the shot in a different, more formal style outfit as she walks in high heels down a dusty dirt track road and begins her vocals to ‘Fadjamou’…

The video for the track ‘Fadjamou’ comes from her most recent album ‘Mogoya’ (2017) which is an excellent example to compare with Sadiki’s videos as both Malians are approaching modernity and visual representation in different ways. In an interview for ‘Rhythm Passport’ website for this album Oumou shows us her position in the Malian music scene by stating:

‘I have always sung for the youth of my country, especially for women. It is thus in Mali. Traditionally griots and artists- even non-griots – have always had this social role, even if it has been lost a little today.’

The video to ‘Fadjamou’ shows some very clear visual statements.

African clothing, jewellery and accessories:  

    2. The African landscape:  

3. Dancing - a traditional style in an outdoor setting:  

4. Power - Oumou is seated on a throne flanked by muscular male attendants, or by bowing  females: 

5. Gestures - pointing fingers to demonstrate authority:    

6. Modern film making - a high budget shown through aerial shots and colour contrasts:    

7. Participation - Oumou participates in the dancing and bowl throwing at the end of the video:    

In this video we clearly see Oumou Sangaré positions herself in Africa through her visual displays of African traditions such as clothing, dance and the use of the outdoor landscape. However, like Sidiki, Oumou is showing wealth through jewellery and clothing, but also displaying modernity through the high quality video production using fast and varied editing techniques as well as contrasts of colours. Having set the scene as contemporary and African, the main theme of the video is one of power. Oumou positions herself on thrones in the centre of the camera shot, flanked by either muscular male attendants or by submitting females unable to look directly at her. These striking images compliment her extensive use of hand gestures throughout. She is often pointing or waving a finger towards to viewer in gestures of advice or warning. The end of the video sees her more active in the dancing and bowl throwing as a participant and thus someone with authority and knowledge of the practises being demonstrated. With her hand gestures and from her established positions of power and place she is showing she is clearly still someone with a message for the youth to take notice of. 

Some of these visual statements can be seen in ‘Kamelemba’ from the same album:

1. Modern urban setting with high resolution cameras and editing:  

2. Dramatically contrasting colour contrasts:  

 3. Dancers performing in a modern interpretive dance style: 

‘Kamelemba’ features no visuals of Oumou Sangaré, instead the video follows a group of female dancers in an urban setting. The colours are striking contrasts all shot in high definition and feature dancing, as does ‘Fadjamou’ however none of the symbols of power or position are present due to Oumou’s absence. The message she is telling is very obvious however as it is clearly subtitled in English throughout - the track tackles suicide and dealing with malicious gossip.

Now looking at the third an final example from this album, the track ‘Yere Faga’ sees visual artistic statements between those seen in the videos to ‘Fadjamou’ and ‘Kamelemba’.

1. Power - central elevated stance: 

2. Single person narrative - again not Oumou Sangaré: 

3. Dance - modern contemporary: 

4. Colour contrasts:  

5. Gesture:

In this video we see Oumou Sangaré positioned at the top of a mountain of tyres, a powerful and strong position in the centre of the camera shot once again, however she is not the main focus of the video narrative. She is very much the narrator as the video follows another female protagonist who dances as the camera follows, with only fleeting cut backs to Oumou gesticulating with her arms at her surroundings. It is a half way point between the previous two videos as she is clearly and powerfully positioned in fashionable clothes and jewellery in a striking place as in 'Fadjamou’, but she is not the focus of the narrative as in ‘Kamelemba’. 

Durán describes Sangaré as ‘formidable[…]she is the ultimate songbird, a true ambassador for Malian women and music’(Durán, 2007. p.g 246) however in the face of the growing popularity of the global pop or hiphop/reggaeton inspired music with the youth in Mali, we could start to see a shift in relevance and popularity. Music made by Sidiki Diabate and his contemporaries is aimed at the younger generation and marketed in their language - one of online videos and streaming consumption, however in an interview in 2017 for the Pan Africa Music website Oumou Sangaré firmly states how her music is relevant for Malians:

‘Daily social news is very inspiring to me[…]Mali is the place that gives me inspiration[…]I want to say that there’s a need to work on African youth’s consciousness…’

And musically she is also highly aware of shifts in popularity, whilst retaining traditional elements of Wasulu music that made her such a star:

‘Electronic music is what makes Africa dance[…]We need to maintain music from the past[…]I was responding to the youth’s desires. And this is just beautiful’.

Conclusion - The Future.

Perhaps the rise in a popularity of more global musical styles is in direct reaction to the success of Wasulu music. Heather Maxwell describes the music as:

‘a rich reservoir of Malian indigenous musical instruments, practices, rhythms, and repertoires, including the youth-harp and vocal music’ (Maxwell, 2008. p.g 52)

Perhaps these musical stylistics of traditional instruments, female vocals and a value of a natural vocal sound has created a space for a counter culture. Music featuring heavily auto-tuned male vocals with overt global fashion and musical influences may be growing in popularity in direct opposition to the music of the Wasulu songbirds like Oumou Sangaré. 

This being said however, I believe that there is space for both of these to co-exist in Malian youth culture. Sidiki’s music is focused on a global musical sound and limited Malian musical features, paired with a visual aesthetic seen in his videos that follows the materialistic tropes of reggaeton music videos and fashion. His move away from more traditional forms of Malian music is seen as bold and innovative by some, and in equal part as offensive by others (see appendix for examples) and this novelty clearly gives him popularity with the youth. Oumou Sangaré on the other hand is continuing to be a social voice through her music and is adapting to tastes with a more electronic musical style and wealthy or modern visual aesthetic in her videos. A striking difference between them is that Oumou’s visual displays of wealth or power are purely as a backdrop for her social commentary on Malian society which is still current and relevant. The visuals in Sidiki’s videos are purely cosmetic as they follow global fashion trends but have no relevance or impact on the message in his music further. As these two artists have such opposite intentions and outlooks I see no reason why the two cant share the youth audience and coexist as there are no collisions of artistic intention between them. 

Appendix.

Images (with translations by the author) of public comments made on Sidiki Diabaté’s official youtube video pages:  

These comments were of use as it became clear that Sidiki’s musical choices divided public opinion. Many comments mentioned his lack of kora playing and recommended he stick to singing love songs or playing the kora. Issues of race were frequently made making negative comment on the light complexion of the female love interest in each of his videos. Finally, I noticed that there was an overwhelming number of people stating where in Africa they were from, with heavy emphasis on not understanding the words but enjoying the music anyway (from those outside Mali). Certain songs received many comments from particular countries more than others- Algeria was one example - and the reason behind this (radio play or different online streaming habits perhaps?) would be interesting to investigate further. 

References:

Charry, Eric S. (2000). Mande music : traditional and modern music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa. Chicago :University of Chicago Press 

Durán, Lucy. (2006)’Mali: gold dust by the river’ in The Rough Guide to World Music (3rd edition): Africa and the Middle East. 

Marshall, Wayne. (2010) ‘The Rise Of Reggaeton’. 

[Accessed online via: https://norient.com/stories/reggaeton/] [Accessed on April 12th 2018]

Maxwell, Heather. (2008). Of Youth-Harps and Songbirds: The Sweet Music of Wasulu. African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music 

O’Connor, Roisin. (2017) Online article - ‘Súbeme la mano: How audiences are adapting to non English language Music’ 

[Accessed via: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/reggaeton-popular-international-hits-despacito-daddy-yankee-j-balvin-k-pop-bts-stotify-streams-a8110541.html] [Accessed on April 12th 2018]

Interview excerpts:

Rhythm Passport Website. Oumou Sangaré interview:

http://www.rhythmpassport.com/articles-and-reviews/interview/interview-oumou-sangare-may-2017/

[Accessed on April 23rd 2018]

Pan African Music Website. Oumou Sangaré interview with Vladimir Cagnolami:

http://pan-african-music.com/en/oumou-sangare-mogoya-interview/

[Accessed on April 23rd 2018]

Pictures - Set 1:

1 - Daddy Yankee - El Ritmo No Perdona 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaomZjmdSUQ]

2 - Daddy Yankee - El Amante

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY33oEDtJv0]

3, 9 - Daddy Yankee - Gasolina

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tIIo4VH4Ow]

4 - Don Omar - Danza Kuduro

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71sqkgaUncI]

5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14 -  J Balvin - Ay Vamos

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TapXs54Ah3E]

7 - Luis Fonzi/Daddy Yankee - Despacito

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk]

8 - Nacho/Yandel/Bad Bunny - Báilame

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7VewKI44rQ]

13 - Daddy Yankee - Romper

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QzlcmHjTCo]

Pictures - Set 2:

 23, 25, 27, 28 - Je Suis Désolé - Sidiki Diabaté 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0eZEhiJoRg]

14, 15, 16 - Inianafi Debena - Sidiki Diabaté 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DELY4vhQTj8]

17, 18, 30, 21, 29 - Haïdara - Sidiki Diabaté 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH5eEpeQLWg]

19, 20, 30 -  Fais Moi Confiance - Sidiki Diabaté 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgO2OZQZfw]

22, 24, 26 - Viens Danser - Sidiki Diabaté 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R64ttkM5z2c]

Pictures -Set 3:

31, 33 - Cuppy Ft. Sarkodie - Vybe

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag_ffZ-OV38]

32 - PSquare Ft. Rick Ross- Beautiful

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6FEd2-6rt8]

34 - Sarkodie - Revenge of the Spartans

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZyUy8RHUw]

Pictures - Set 4:

35 - 51 - Fadjamou - Oumou Sangaré.

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRPslYICMfw]

52 - 57 - Kamelemba - Oumou Sangaré 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4eXmjhudb8]

58 - 63 - Yere Faga - Oumou Sangaré 

[Accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg1JqUA5ck4]

Cover Page Pictures:

Oumou Sangaré - Google image search. [accessed on April 24th 2018]

Sidiki Diabaté - Google image search. [accessed on April 24th 2018]

[dustedmagazine]

Oumou Sangaré — Mogoya (No Format)

On the cover of her latest album, legendary Malian Wassoulou singer Oumou Sangaré looks strikingly like the bejewelled woman in Abderrahmane Sissako’s wonderful 2014 film Timbuktu, who marches unafraid through the historic city even as jihadist forces impose brutal measures that curb the freedoms of the inhabitants, especially women. Coincidentally, that character was played by another famed Malian singer, Fatoumata Diawara. Whether the album art was a deliberate reference or not, it’s a reminder of the socio-political nature of Sangaré’s art, as she uses a popular form of song to challenge patriarchal norms.  

I obviously do not speak Wassoulou, so cannot be certain as to the messages contained within the nine songs that make up Mogoya, but there’s often a certain edge to Sangaré’s vocals that makes me believe that her contempt for practices like female genital mutilation, polygamy and forced marriages remains undimmed. Her voice is striking, a powerful soprano that projects itself forcefully over the massed ranks of guitar, keyboards, backing vocals and drums that swirl through each song. For Mogoya, Sangaré eschewed the “Western” (a silly term given she’s from West Africa) textures that are often imposed on artists from the developing world and returned to the source: all these songs are organic, earthy, sparse despite the many textures, and each hits home with potent immediacy.  

Much has been made about the presence of Nigerian drummer supreme Tony Allen on “Yere Faga,” and indeed his unmistakably taut rhythms help make the song one of the stand-outs on Mogoya, but just as worthy is a production that heightens Oumou Sangaré’s soaring vocal, supported as much by a loping bass line as it is by Allen’s metronomic poly-rhythms. The drums are actually ferociously good across all nine songs, a series of hypnotic shuffles and martial drives that form a rock-solid foundation for the other instruments. Along with Allen’s drums and the remarkable bass, a searing electric guitar solo seethes across the spectrum on “Yere Faga,” drawing a parallel with the Tuareg blues of neighboring Niger.  

More traditional instruments of Wassoulou music, such as the kamalen n’goni harp and the djembe form the bedrock of later tracks such as “Fadjamou,” “Mali Niale” and “Kounkoun” and the beauty of Sangaré’s compositions is how balanced this mixture of traditional and modern can be. Never do the synthesizers or electric guitars impede on the bliss of hearing these old acoustic instruments, even when, for example, the former soar like a brief prog-rock sample, as on “Kamelemba.” The drums, whether deployed in dense poly-rhythms by Allen on “Yere Faga,” or subsumed into a torrent of various percussive devices as on “Djoukourou,” always provide infectious forward momentum, a relentless groove that is as powerful as any high life, funk or Afrobeat rhythm and only emphasized by Sangaré’s voice.  

And there’s no denying that, for all the instrumental bliss mentioned above, this is Oumou Sangaré’s triumph. Her voice pierces, swoons, serenades and laments in turn, her pitch and timbre precise, her personality imposing. Backed by a chorus of backing singers clearly having the time of their lives and giving her further wings, Sangaré is poet and storyteller, moral guide and denouncer of injustice all wrapped up in one singular, beautiful voice.    

Joseph Burnett

[beatspermike]

Oumou Sangaré - Yere Faga (Natureboy Flako Remix)

[carmeniiita-blog]

💚⭐️❤️#oumousangaré #africanartist #africanmusic #memories #223entertainment

[villageunderground]

Oumou Sangaré 17.05.17

[belafrika]

#OumouSangaré : "Ce qui m'inspire, c'est l'Afrique, mon continent !"

#OumouSangaré : "Ce qui m'inspire, c'est l'Afrique, mon continent !" ##Afrique ##bam-tv ##Belafrikamedia

Oumou Sangaré : “Ce qui m’inspire, c`est l’Afrique, mon continent !”

Oumou Sangaré, diva malienne de la musique, est l’invitée phare du festival 100 % Afriques de La Villette. Un sacré clin d’œil pour cette artiste hors-norme.

N’est pas diva qui veut. En arrivant si tard à la rencontre de l’artiste malienne, on ne s’attendait pas à un accueil aussi chaleureux. À croire que tout entretien avec…

[carava]

Tem Playlist Nova Il y a une nouvelle playlist Link na bio djaycarava Spotify: Sanjopazel Playlist: Çara's World #10 Um passeio de Addis - Abeba à Bogotá, de Rio à Istanbul, de Modena na Itália à Praia no Cabo Verde Passando pelo Mali etc... #DjayÇaravá #playlistdasemana #playlistdelasemaine #worldmusic #autourdumonde #aroundtheworld #manga #mayraandrade #Elzasoares #baianasystem #Gigi #kahan #babazula #brennamaccrimon #sumruağıryürüyen #altingün #sabu #modenacityramblers #tuxedo #slyandrobbiedub #marmoudguinia #jamesholden #sainkhonamtchylaktchylak #robertloyson #thecure #oumousangaré #josemarquez (à Istanbul, Turquie) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCGUKWUnKO3/?igshid=19d7io07cbwms

[odrkmmnkssnk]

マリ共和国のバマコ出身のシンガーOumou Sangaré（ウム・サンガレ）が楽曲“Minata Waraba”のパフォーマンス動画を公開しました。Ballake Sissokoによるコラの音色も美しくマッチしています #OumouSangaré #BallakeSissoko #BenogoDiakité

Chant - Oumou Sangaré Kora - Ballake Sissoko Kamele Ngoni - Benogo Diakité Choeurs - Kamba Samake et Barsa Tounkara

SamphaやTony Allenも参加したRemixアルバムも要チェックです