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January the 7 th, 2006 : In traditional African society, women do the work while the men contemplate higher matters from under the shade of the nearest tree. In music, the same order applies. Women sing and dance but the serious business of playing an instrument is an almost exclusively male preserve. Madina N’Diaye from Mali is the exception, the only female player of the intricate, multi-stringed African harp known as the kora. As such, she has suffered the hostility of her male peers, who have been known to cut her strings while she plays. To compound her disadvantage, an eye disease three years ago left her blind. Yet one male kora player, the great Toumani Diabate, was progressive enough to teach N’Diaye, and her debut album proves that he has a richly talented pupil. Backed by a supporting ensemble of African and Western instruments, she plays like a traditional master with a gentle rhythmic lilt, and sings in an attractive, lightly keening voice. Many of her lyrics (translations provided) champion women’s causes. Yet Bomogow is not merely a bold and spirited record that challenges the established order. Musically, it is a sparkling African gem in its own right. Nigel Williamson

January the 13 th, 2006 : Malian music is most certainly not a male preserve (just look at the success of Oumou Sangaré, Rokia Traoré, Kandia Kouyaté or Mariam Doumbia), but it hasn't been easy for women to change the old traditions. The kora, the classical harp-lute of West Africa, is best-known as the instrument of the male hereditary musicians, the griots, and Madina N'Diaye found herself in trouble with the more establishment-minded players when she decided to take up the kora. But she persevered, helped by the world's greatest kora player, Toumani Diabaté, and went on to work with that adventurous African-influenced French band, Lo'Jo, and then to form her own group. Although she lost her sight three years ago, she kept going and has now released her first European CD. It's a confident, easy-going affair in which she wisely refrains from attempting Toumani's virtuoso flourishes but provides gentle, stately backing for light, easy-going songs like Moussou, with its insistence on women's musical skills, or Fête à la Trinité, a cheerfully unlikely burst of Malian-French calypso. She deserves to succeed. Robin Denselow

Charts and playlist Jan/feb 2006 : Madina N'Diaye isn't your average Malian diva. Not a djeli muso with riches, acclaim and global adoration. There are no wealthy patrons knocking at N'Diaye's door.No, Madina is a kora player. In fact, the only Malian woman kora player around. Moreover, she is not from griot stock but has rather chosen a path as a musician, singing songs which champion women's causes. Her mastery of an exclusively male domain has led to open hostility from some traditional players - even to the extent of cutting her strings whilst playing on stage!Despite these odds, N'Diaye has evolved as a really solid player and her first CD release, Bimogow is a really charming piece of work. More progressive players have championed her art, studying as she did with masters in the field like Toumani Diabate and Djelimadi Cissokho, and N'Diaye even plays a kora given to her by Diabate. Her playing is crisp and cool in the classical Malian style or gently lilting and swinging as an undercurrent to her sweet, light vocals. Much of the release involves ensemble playing, which is subtle and resonant but her solo acoustic handling of Tounga stands out on merit.To cap it all, N'Diaye suffered a nasty eye infection a couple of years ago which has left her blind. Puts girl power in context, eh! Sarah Coxson

The ten tracks on “Bimo Gow” were another welcome surprise from Mali in late 2004. They reflect N’Diaye’s commitment to help her fellow-citizens, women, Africans and, in general, all those discriminated against in this beleaguered world. The lyrics are simple and heavily steeped in the 40-year-old’s personal experiences of chauvinism and bigotry. “They think that women are incapable of doing all the things they do,” sings N’Diaye in “Moussow”, “But I, Madina, play the Kora...Glory to women, glory to the women of Mali. […] While N’Diaye’s voice is certainly not to be compared to the great traditional and neo-traditional singers from Mali, one cannot but be moved by its sincerity and passion. Madina compensates a certain flatness in delivery by the slickness of her kora-plucking and the density of her lyrics. Daniel Brown

The Power of culture

« Despite the many outside influences, Malian music has always managed to retain its original character. Since time immemorial, the griots and griottes have sung their songs of praise accompanied by traditional African instruments. One of these is the kora, a harp-lute made from a hollow gourd that has 21 strings strung across its neck. The blind female kora player Madina N'Diaye explains: ‘Many griots are convinced that the kora should only be played by men. They say: Women should sing but should not play any instruments. There are even people who say that I have been punished with blindness because I followed my heart and started playing the kora.’ It’s worth pointing out that these days there are other female artists in addition to Madina who don’t play by the unwritten rules. Their stance has led to them being subjected to a barrage of constant criticism. Some have to rehearse in secret, have husbands who forbid them to play or find that relations repeatedly smash up their instruments. They may even be cursed at in the street. All this is the lot of these talented Mali musicians merely because of the life that they have chosen. As their numbers are few, it is doubtful whether they could engineer social change in the short term. However, this unique type of world music is becoming more and more popular internationally, so at least they will not have to leave the stage unheard.» Merel Oord

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