Born in Bamako, Mali, author, composer, guitarist (acoustic) and singer, Diaou Kouyaté, studied with her mother, the diva Niama Macalou, a famous ‘griotte’ of Mandinka music. Since the early 1990s, the one nicknamed "la griotte moderne" for her trendy look and her musical openness, has pursued a solo career, navigating between acoustic music (afro-folk), walks or fusion, a mixture of Mandinka music, soul, pop, funk, salsa and even electro or slam ...
Arriving in France in the 1980s, Diaou Kouyaté quickly became one of the choristers most sought after by the great names of African music, including Salif Keïta, Ousmane Kouyaté, Kassé Mady Diabaté, Mario Rui Silva ... Contacted by Mory Kanté, it will be part of the adventure "Yéké Yéké", the famous planetary hit produced in 1987 by the Guinean kora player.
Since then, she has pursued a solo career, posing her warm voice with varied intonations on Mandingo music from Mali tinged with soul, pop, funk, salsa and even electro or slam, and given by the acoustic guitar, the balafon (xylophone), the kora (21-string harp - lyre), ngoni (3- or 4-string lute), djembe (percussion) and bass. © ATMO