Presented in collaboration with The Englert Theatre

Part of Hancher’s 51st season

“The Songbird of Wassoulou” brings the music of Mali to The Englert’s stage. Oumou Sangaré is an icon whose powerful music and fierce feminism have inspired artists from Alicia Keys to Aya Nakamura to Beyoncé. The songs on her most recent record, Timbuktu, were largely written in Baltimore during the lockdowns of the COVID pandemic. The album blends the sounds of traditional West African instruments with those of instruments most associated with the blues. Sangaré will share music from this ambitious album as well as sounds from throughout her acclaimed career. How acclaimed? The New Yorker says, “Percussive, danceable, and haunting, the singer’s visionary mix is the primary reason that her voice has come to carry as much respect as Aretha Franklin’s.”

OUMOU SANGARÉ WEBSITE