Fatoumata Diawara

On December 4, 2026 at L'Usine in Istres, Fatoumata Diawara returns with a live show crafted for both movement and attentive listening. A singer, songwriter and composer, she unfolds a clear, vibrant voice that carries lyrics in Bambara, her language, where intimate wounds and a collective breath intertwine. On stage, her songs move between Wassoulou roots, Manding blues, afro-pop and electronic touches — a terrain where her guitar and the percussion lay down an immediate groove.

Her writing tackles female genital mutilation, forced marriage, exile and the place of women without détour: ordeals she transforms into direct, sensitive, resolute songs, with a knack for conveying heavy subjects through melody and rhythm. Having left Mali at 19 to forge her own path, she continues to explore identity, freedom and the transmission of culture, balancing life as an artist and as a mother.

In concert, Fatoumata Diawara cultivates intimacy, alternating taut ballads and danceable numbers, building the energy without compromising the integrity of her message. A set in which the words matter as much as the sound, and where each chorus opens a shared space. Join us in Istres for an evening carried by a singular voice and a presence that brings people together.