I have been down with a bug since Wednesday night, Mexico beat South Africa in game one of the World Cup yesterday, and so I woke up today feeling like I needed a pick-me-up song to change the mood!
The throne of the Malian Wassoulou music “songbirds” (yes, that’s what they are called) is currently occupied by Oumou Sangaré. But there’s a challenger racing to become the new queen, and that is singer/songwriter/actress and electric guitarist, Fatoumata Diawara.
Diawara is already six albums into her career. The press for her new album, Massa, released just last week, is all about the deeply personal nature of it. The songs are primarily sung in Bambara, and I accept what I read – not knowing any Bambara at all – and while I can’t comment on the personal aspects of the record, the music itself is celebratory!
Centred around Wassoulou rhythms, a lot of Diawara’s songs incorporate a collision with Western elements of funk and pop, and include the odd smattering of English and French too. French musician Matthieu Chedid, better known as “M”, is in the second chair.
You could select almost any track from Massa and it’ll give you joy, but for today, I’m picking not a ballad but a banger. Take a listen to Mogo. Over a guitar-driven introduction, it gives way to a thumping, fuelled-up rhythm track of bass and drums. The vocal is immediate, the groove hypnotic. Guitars provide the tight-shaped high tones. Try not dancing to this and have a good weekend all!
Listen to Mogo on Spotify here and on Apple Music here.
I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com.
For more of Mark’s memorable track selections, go here.
Top image collage: Rawpixel; Currency.
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