Fatoumata Diawara & Baloji

An exclusive African music doubleheader from two of the continent’s brightest young émigré artists.

Born in the Ivory Coast but based in Paris, Fatoumata Diawara (aka Fatou) caught her first break as a backing singer on Oumou Sangaré’s Grammy-nominated album Seya. Encouraged to take up the guitar by friend Rokia Traore, she soon penned an album worth of original material, blending jazz and blues with the traditional Wassoulou music of her parents’ native Mali. Between recording sessions she found time to contribute her stunning vocals to albums by Cheikh Lô, AfroCubism and Herbie Hancock.

Kinshasa Succursale, the latest album by Baloji, is something of a departure for the Congo-born, Belgium-raised hip-hop artist. Recorded in Kinshasa, it marks a re-engagement with his African roots, mixing the dance rhythms of Congolese soukous with reggae beats and his trademark Francophone rap.

‘A clever blend of hip-hop along with old style soukous.’ The Guardian on Baloji