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Rokia Traore blends the traditions of her Bamana heritage with a modern singer-songwriter’s approach to music-making. Instead of surrounding herself with a band, the singer strips her ensemble down to a cool minimum, performing on stage with a single guitar as she tackles American jazz standards, along with songs written in her native tongue. She’s collaborated with Damon Albarn, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and even author Toni Morrison, but it’s on her own that she’s at her best. On her forthcoming album, Beautiful Africa (out April 8), Traore laments the effects of war and calls for peace in her homeland.
Listen: “Dounia”