Sangaré from the Heart
Oumou Sangaré's sound is incredible but her story is equally incredible.
To many, she's the voice of women in Africa - she comes from Mali - "Female suffering, polygamy, social injustice. I didn't want other children to suffer the way I did so I thought that if I could help with my lyrics I would."
Sangaré's father left her when she was two years old to take another wife, which left her family in poverty and she was forced to sing to keep her and her siblings from the streets.
"My own cause is, and has always been women's rights, and the rights of children. I want to both fight against hardship and inequalities but also show that there are strong African women with me in this struggle, and that we are making a difference. It's true that when I sing it's joyful, but in among that joy I always take the opportunity to slip in messages that educate my nation. Where I come from, that's very important. It's true that people are happy to just listen to music, but they're also interested in what the person is actually saying with the music."
Because of her stand on many issues, Sangaré has been accused by her critics of being anti-tradition. She says " I am not anti-Mali or anti-tradition. I am a very traditional woman, but not all traditions are worth keeping."
She bought 10 hectares of land in Mali as a place for women to go and work if they want to and she has set up an association to help orphaned girls and mothers in trouble.
An amazing woman who has one purpose in life - to make the world a better place for women.
Here's a free MP3 download of a Sangare classic (Djorolen - Worry/Anxiety) that will blow your mind http://bit.ly/c46IM6
Just a little music to take you into a restful weekend if that's what you are after...
