The celebrated Matthieu Chedid, aka M, recognized the appeal of Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara and stamped his imprimatur on Fenfo. Respectful of her Wassoulou traditions and affinity for desert blues, M followed his discovery’s lead, supporting her pop, folk, rock and funk inclinations while highlighting the richness of West African melodic inflections, traditional instruments — tama, kora, ngnoni, djembé, etc. — and passion for the music. Living between Africa and Europe, cultural overlap obviously gives Fatoumata Diawara a lot to say and sing about, as the title of this album (“something to say,” in Bambara) suggests.
