Sadio

Sadio Kouyaté was born in Segou (Mali) into a family of griots, and started singing at the age of 7 under the guidance of her grandmother, Penda Danté, who herself was a legendary singer and known as "la djeli de Ségou".
With her grandmother she started singing locally, at baptismal ceremonies. In 1984 she went abroad for the first time, to Abidjan and later to Lomé. She went to France in 1989 and decided to stay, making frequent trips to the US and other countries.

A few years ago, in 2005, she has returned to Mali, and has married to Sekouba Kouyaté, musical entrepreneur and brother of singer Mah Kouyaté No.2. Rumour has it that this marriage is on the rocks, - and Sadio (who is nearing or just over 50 now) on the prowl....

This cassette is from her days in Mali, when she was a force to be reckoned with. It contains six superb songs, sung with great passion and conviction. Personal favourites are "Santolema" and the world-class "Nata".

Syl 8346

To give you an idea of her stage performance, here is video - also from the 1980s - of Sadio performing in Segou. Vocally perhaps not as strong as the songs on the cassette, but interesting also for the older men who enter the stage to perform their traditional dances. I am sure this can be an eye-opener to those who think African dancing is all about flapping your arms and jumping about....


PS: Sadio has younger sister, Yah Kouyaté, who was also introduced into djeliya by her grandmother...