Fatoumata Diawara

• Gent Jazz
  Sunday 5•July•2026
  20:15•

Anyone who has seen her perform live knows that Fatoumata Diawara truly comes into her own on stage. Whether she is driving the audience wild with her dance moves alongside top international musicians or performing a song accompanied only by her voice and guitar, Fatoumata was born to perform live and never fails to get everyone dancing!

Like her great example Oumou Sangaré, Fatoumata Diawara sings in the Wassoulou tradition of her homeland Mali. From an early age, she has mastered the arts of acting, guitar and singing like no other and is also a dedicated singer-songwriter. Inspired by her West African roots and the traditions of desert blues, she smoothly combines contemporary sounds from Afrobeat, pop, jazz, electronica and hip-hop, as can be heard on her debut album Fatou from 2011. Follow-ups Fenfo (2018) and London KO (2023) continue along this path and confirm her status as the figurehead of a new generation of African artists. She has played at major festivals, including Glastonbury, Werchter, Coachella and Bonnaroo, and has collaborated with numerous big names such as Gorillaz (Désolé), Damon Albarn (Nsera), Angie Stone, Yemi Aladé, Roberto Fonseca, Toumani Diabaté, Disclosure (Douha), Yael Naim, Bassekou Kouyaté, and many more.