Rokia Traoré’s music sounds rooted and restless at the same time. She sings in Bamana over the n’goni and balafon, then adds an electric guitar or a string quartet. For many listeners, she represents a new generation of Malian music that looks both backwards and forwards.
Early life
Rokia Traoré was born on 24 January 1974 in Mali. Her father was a diplomat, and she travelled widely in her youth, living in several countries and hearing many kinds of music.
Between cultures
Growing up abroad and in Mali shaped her approach. She absorbed Malian traditions but also Western pop, folk and jazz, and she did not see them as separate worlds.
Ali Farka Touré
In 1997, she connected with the great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré, whose support raised her profile at home and abroad.
Early albums
Her debut album, Mouneissa, was released in 1998. Her second, Wanita, followed on 11 July 2000 and included a duet with the singer and guitarist Boubacar Traoré, to whom she is not related despite the shared surname.
Bowmboï
Her 2003 album Bowmboï included two tracks recorded with the Kronos Quartet, the American string ensemble, while she still sang in Bamana. It won the Critics Award at the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in 2004.
Tchamantché
Tchamantché, released on 6 May 2008, brought the electric guitar to the centre of her sound. It won World Music Album of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique in France in 2009.
Beautiful Africa
In 2013, she released Beautiful Africa, a more rock-influenced album that reflected on Mali’s political crisis and the continent’s struggles.
Her voice
Traoré’s voice is clear and controlled, often gentle, sometimes fierce. She arranges traditional instruments in new ways, stripping them back or pairing them with Western ones.
Beyond music
She has worked in theatre and founded projects to support young musicians in Mali, providing training and spaces to perform.
Instruments
Her bands often combine the n’goni, a West African lute, and the balafon with electric guitar, bass and drums. The balance between old and new instruments changes from album to album, giving each record its own character.
Tradition as a starting point
Rokia Traoré’s albums show that respecting tradition does not mean freezing it. In her hands, Malian music became something that could sit comfortably beside a string quartet or a rock band, without losing its own voice.
