Grammy-nominated Malian singer, songwriter, guitarist and actress Fatoumata Diawara’s highly anticipated new album London Ko is now available.
With this new album, Fatoumata Diawara continues to reinvent traditional African music, combining her Mandinka roots with afrobeat, jazz, pop, electronic and hip hop influences. That synthesis is reflected even in the album’s title, combining the names of the Western metropolis of London with that of the Malian capital of Bamako.
On London Ko, Fatoumata Diawara combines forces with collaborator Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) who co-produces 6 tracks on the album and is featured performing on the first single, “Nsera,” which is out now to critical acclaim from Pitchfork, Stereogum, okayafrica., WNYC, the Object of Sound podcast and more.
Fatoumata Diawara notes, “For me, London Ko means opening your mind. It also represents Damon Albarn’s connection to Malian music.” London Ko, a neologism coined by Diawara, represents an imagined continent bringing Europe and Africa together. While holding on to traditions, Diawara’s music gives a prophetic vision of what Africa can do. She invents an alternative space and time where it is possible to become master of your own destiny. Positioning herself as an actor in a future world, this album raises Diawara into the ranks of the great voices of Afrofuturism.
