Awesome Tapes From Africa to reissue Nahawa Doumbia’s debut album

An intimate recording of the Malian vocalist’s raw and emotive sound.

Nahawa Doumbia’s 1981 debut album La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 1 will be reissued on vinyl by Awesome Tapes From Africa this September.

A vocalist whose 40-year career helped define Southern Mali’s Wassoulou pop music style, Doumbia recorded her debut as a duo, accompanied by her future husband N’Gou Bagayoko on acoustic guitar.

Originally released on Côte d’Ivoire-based label AS Records, La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 1 captured Doumbia’s nascent strength as a vocalist, which was accentuated by the stark nature of the recording, and would mark the beginning of a journey towards larger ensembles and the use of synths and electric guitars in her music.

As she describes: “I am really proud of that first album because that’s where it all began. It shows me how far I’ve come in my personal and artistic life; it gives me the courage I need to keep going forward, and makes me appreciate all the years of dedication and hard work I put into my musical career.”

The release is also something of a milestone for Awesome Tapes From Africa, whose first reissue in 2011 was that of Doumbia’s La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 3.

La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 1 Will be released on 20th September. Head here for more info and check out the artwork and tracklist below.