Rokia Kon\u00e9’s musical journey began in the courtyard of her childhood home in Dioro, cradle of the Mande empire. “I used to sing mostly my grandmother’s songs<\/em>,” she says. “On both sides of my family my aunts and uncles were also singers: I was always surrounded by music<\/em>\u201d. The young Rokia then moved to Bamako and became a backing singer for Alia Coulibaly, one of Mali’s biggest stars. In 2016, she joined the female supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique<\/a>, giving her the opportunity to make her debut on the international scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building on this success, she recently chose to team up with rock producer Jacknife Lee, known for his collaborations with U2, R.E.M, The Killers, and a Grammy for his work with Taylor Swift. For the album BAMANAN<\/em>, Jacknife illuminates the stark beauty of Rokia’s voice, making the singer’s melismatic improvisations audible. At the heart of the project is a tribute to the Bambara people of southern Mali, their language, culture, and practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n