Named by TIME magazine in late 2012 as one of the next 10 artists poised for stardom, Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara originally moved to France to study acting, and appeared in several films before picking up the guitar and writing her own songs. “Enchanting and blissful. Her well-crafted songs are often light and breezy, but her soulful voice brings a bluesy depth and potency that can stop you in your tracks.” (TIME) Mali's ngoni ace Bassekou Kouyate has been called “a genius” by Taj Mahal and his music was described as “ancient and utterly contemporary” by The Guardian. No one on earth plays the jeli ngoni, the traditional stringed-instrument of Mande griot singers, like Bassekou Kouyate, whose music recalls the electric desert blues of Tinariwen or Ali Farka Touré.