Sali Sidibe - Vol. 1

Longtime Malian composer and vocalist Sali Sidibe is a treasure of African folk music, having released a plethora of albums on cassette and CD on various labels across the continent for over two decades before ceasing in around the early noughties. Born in a village in the Wassoulou region of southern Mali, Sidibe sang in Bambara, her songs often backed by a range of traditional rhythms including didai and sogonikun. These fusions would later contribute to the formation of the now very popular Wassoulou movement, a form of dance music performed mostly by women covering themes including childbearing and polygamy. Now Musique Malienne reissues a rare 80s cassette credited to Sidibe, on which detuned electric synths and steadily sequenced electronic drums back up her defiant, snappy, almost rhythmlessly rapped vocals.