Rokia Traoré

The extraordinary Malian musician Rokia Traoré spent nearly two decades creating a sound that is utterly contemporary yet deeply rooted in her West African homeland. As the daughter of a Malian diplomat, the musician grew up traveling the globe, rapidly absorbing cultures as the family moved from Belgium to France to Algeria to Saudi Arabia. "Traoré is indeed a remarkable artist -- it is difficult to think of anyone else who can switch from ancient Malian culture to African rock and roll" (Guardian).Traoré's most recent release on Nonesuch Records, Beautiful Africa, earned five stars from the Observer and Songlines, which raved: "Music from Africa really doesn't get better than this ... exciting, surprising, and always perfectly executed." The New York Times wrote: "Traoré has a gentle voice with a steely core, one that's revealed more clearly than ever on Beautiful Africa." However fine her recordings, Traoré is perhaps most celebrated for her live show, which Time Out London says is "arguably the most exciting, most thrilling live African music show around."