With her work rooted in the Malian musical tradition yet defying the confines of a single culture, Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist Rokia Traoré is regarded as one of Africa’s most inventive musicians. Born in 1974 in Mali to a diplomat father, Rokia travelled extensively during her youth: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium, where she studied. This nomadic upbringing exposed her to a wide variety of international musical influences from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, to Wagner, Serge Gainsbourg, and the Rolling Stones. A protégé of the legendary guitarist Ali Farka Touré, Rokia’s breakthrough came in 1997 when she was hailed as the ‘African Revelation’ by Radio France Internationale. Continue reading Brighton Festival 2019 Guest Director: Rokia Traoré →