If Diawara’s voice wasn’t enough to recommend this disc, the sound production is gripping and multi-layered. Played on the right system, bass notes and drum beats will rattle your walls and delicate acoustic string fills will float in space - The Audio Beat

Superb new album from the great Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara.

Diawara established her reputation as one of the finest, most inventive female singers in Mali on the strength of her remarkable debut album, Fatou, recorded seven years ago. She has since been involved in a variety of projects, including collaborations with Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, and with fellow Malians Amadou & Mariam and Oumou Sangaré. And now, at last, comes her second solo album. Fenfo – which translates as “something to say” – is a classy affair that demonstrates her impressive musical range while leaving open the question of whether she has yet to substantiate her own distinctive musical identity. The album sees her in powerful voice covering a variety of styles, surrounded by a distinguished band. On her first album, the musicians included Toumani Diabaté, and here the cast includes his kora-playing son Sidiki, along with the French star Matthieu Chedid and that remarkable cellist Vincent Ségal.

A1. Nterini / A2. Kokoro / A3. Ou Y' An Ye / A4. Kanou Dan Yen / A5. Fenfo

 B1. Negue Negue / B2. Mama / B3. Takamba / B4. Bonya / B5. Dibi Bo / B6. Don Do