Timbuktu Grooves

On Saturday, September 30, McCarter Theatre Center presents a concert highlighting Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, wielding her electric guitar to write songs that blend Wassoulou folk music, spiritually centered Afropop, and desert blues. Singing mostly in Bambara, the national language of Mali, Diawara sings about migration, African identity, motherhood, and the struggle of African women. A veteran of the screen and stage, she debuted as an actress in the ‘90s, appearing in films such as Cheick Oumar Sissoko’s La Genèse and the Oscar-nominated Timbuktu. Since her 2011 debut LP Fatou, she’s collaborated with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Bobby Womack, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), who co-produced her latest album London Ko. In 2019 she became the first Malian artist to perform at the Grammys, where she was nominated for “Best World Music Album” for her 2018 record Fenfo (Something to Say). 

The final event of the festival on Sunday, October 1 titled Djandjoba or “The Big Gathering” transports listeners spiritually to West Africa by the calming sound of the kora, an ancient 21-string African harp, with a duet performed by master griots Wassa Kouyate from Mali and Flatie Dembele from Burkina Faso. The program will also highlight contemporary African music played by Sō Percussion, Dafra Kura band from Burkina Faso, and the Princeton University Afrobeat Ensemble. 

“Timbuktu was historically an intellectual and spiritual center in the Mali empire. It’s a city of resilience which echoes the resilience of Princetonians. Our first mission is to promote the beauty, positivity, and creativity of the continent of Africa throughout the performing arts,” said Director of African Music Ensembles Olivier Tarpaga. 

“It is crucial for me to represent this vast, diverse, fascinating, and sometimes misunderstood continent at the traditional and urban level because Africa is contemporary” said Tarpaga.  

McCarter and the Department of Music at Princeton are thrilled to partner together for a second year after an exciting performance with the Jazz Vocal Collective featuring Camille Thurman last February. Joining forces allows music enthusiasts to experience extraordinary, visionary talent across multiple departments together on stage.  

The Fall 2023 Timbuktu Grooves Festival is supported by the Edward T. Cone Fund in the Humanities Council.