"I like to be on stage,"
says the 31-year-old singer, one of the latest stars to come out of the
seemingly endless reservoir of musical talent that is Mali. "It's one of
my favorite places, I love that."
Indeed, under the stage lights of Yoshi's in San Francisco, Diawara's Malian influence and personal charisma shine through.
Guitar on hand, she sings
effortlessly in a warm, wavering voice but she can as easily break into
powerful vocal solos and high-pitched ululations; as the evening
progresses, she takes the audience into a journey of rhythms and
emotions. With boundless energy, she strides across the stage, her
braided hair swirling around frenziedly as she dances with abandon.
First passion
Even as a child, the
versatile performer, who was born in the Ivory Coast to Malian parents
in 1982, was very much into singing and dancing. But even though she was
already a member of her father's dance troupe at a very young age, it
was Diawara's talent in acting that first wowed audiences and paved her
way to stardom.
At the age of nine,
Diawara was sent to live with her actress aunt to the Malian capital
Bamako. One day, while she was on the set of one of her aunt's films,
the director asked the young Diawara to play a small role.
The part was only a few
lines, but the exposure would lead to much larger roles. In 2001, she
starred as the title character in "Sia, Le Reve Du Python," a highly
successful film that boosted Diawara's reputation in Mali -- to this day
many people in the West African country refer to her as Sia -- and also
attracted interest from abroad.
Fleeing marriage
In the 2001 drama,
Diawara plays a young woman who flees her family to avoid being
sacrificed to a god -- a role that has real life echoes for Diawara.
Shortly after the release of the film, Jean-Louis Courcoult, director of famous French theater company Royal de Luxe, travelled to Mali to offer Diawara a part in a new production.
But Diawara's aunt, who
had guardian's rights, objected to the idea and arranged for her
19-year-old niece to be married to one of her cousins.
Going against tradition,
Diawara took the bold decision to flee Mali and pursue her dream. After
making all the necessary preparations in secrecy, she managed to slip
out of her aunt's house and catch a flight to Europe.
New life, new career
Once in France, Diawara
became a member of Royal de Luxe, traveling around the world for more
than six years. Her new career also afforded her many other
opportunities, including invitations to record songs with Malian
musicians in Paris.
After getting a taste of
life as a musician, Diawara decided to pursue it on her own. She taught
herself how to play the guitar, recorded a demo and stared performing
at cafés in Paris.
Once she left Mali,
Diawara never looked back. That was until last year, when a crisis
threatened to destroy the country's rich music heritage.
In March 2012, a military coup sent
the country's president into hiding. That opened the door to insurgency
by Islamic militants who began to enforce their strict interpretation
of Sharia law, including a ban on music.
Diawara, who was still
living in Paris, felt compelled to do something to ensure the great
traditions of the music she loves live on. She went back to Mali and
rallied 40 of the country's most popular artists, including kora maestro
Toumani Diabate and legendary singer Oumou Sangare, to record a song calling for peace titled: "Mali ko."
Once back in her
country, Diawara also reconnected with her family, making amends. It was
also a chance for her to give back to the beloved country she fled but
which still influences her music.
"I'm not a politician,
I'm nobody," she says, "but it is about my country; my Earth, where I'm
from. My roots, my story, my family."
Culled from CNN African Voices
No comments:
Post a Comment