Fenfo

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.