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Benin, Gabon, Mali, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Congo-Brazzaville

Musow Danse

Released 16 February 2024

Musow Danse (Women's Dance)
Mother Murakoze (feat. Alvie Bitemo)
Flaws (feat. Mamani Keïta & Fafa Ruffino)
Kiss Me (feat. Dobet Gnahoré)
Kuma Fo (What They Say)
Espérance (feat. Mamani Keïta)
To Be Loved (feat. Kandy Guira)
Queen Kuruma (feat. Fafa Ruffino)
Bobo Me (Interlude) [feat. Nneka]
Amahoro (Don't Get Angry) [feat. Alvie Bitemo]
My Place (feat. Dobet Gnahoré)
Bobo Me (feat. Nneka & Mamani Keïta)

Buy now at the Real World store: cd / vinyl

Liner notes

The all-female African supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique, a collective which has included some of the biggest stars in African music, make a triumphant return with a brand-new sound on their third album Musow Danse.

Les Amazones d’Afrique is an all-female collective formed in Bamako, Mali, in 2014 by three renowned Malian music stars and social change activists, Mamani Keïta, Oumou Sangaré and Mariam Doumbia, and it has since expanded to involve many female artists from across Africa and the diaspora. While their cause — campaigning for gender equality and eradicating ancestral violence — is worthy enough in itself, their musical creative expression is equally powerful. Richly melodic and far-ranging, it blends pan-African styles and collaborative harmonies with gritty, contemporary pop.

Following two critically-acclaimed albums République Amazone (2017) and Amazones Power (2020) working with the idiosyncratic Congotronics producer Doctor L, the band have now collaborated with Jacknife Lee (U2, Modest Mouse, Taylor Swift) on the new album to embrace a powerful pop sound led by 808s and glitchy synths and drawing from contemporary hip-hop and trap influences.

Les Amazones d'Afrique - Kuma Fo (What They Say)

Reviews

One of the great pan-African consciousness LPs in modern history ★★★★ Rolling Stone
A nigh on flawless disc straight out of West Africa that will have listeners feeling the heat from the first bars to the last and that more than stands up to both of the collective’s previous monumental albums. ★★★★ The Arts Desk
Impactful seize-the-moment third album from the West African supergroup ★★★★ MOJO
Les Amazones d'Afrique are vital voices for women's empowerment 9/10 Pop Matters

Further listening

Amazones Power

Les Amazones d’Afrique

Released 24 January 2020

A creative force that embraces international voices; sweet, strong harmonies that summon the rights of women and girls; a meltdown of heritage and new gen talent… Les Amazones d’Afrique are back with Amazones Power, the sequel to their widely acclaimed 2017 debut album, République Amazone.
BAMANAN

Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee

Released 18 February 2022

It’s a voice that soars — pure, clear and true — above bass and synths, traditional percussion and infectious Mande guitar grooves. A stop-you-in-your-tracks voice instantly familiar to anyone in Mali, West Africa: Rokia Koné, a.k.a the Rose of Bamako. On her debut album, she teams up with California-based rock producer Jacknife Lee to reimagine the Malian sound in ways both leftfield and beautiful.

Musow Danse

Further reading

Totó la Momposina (1940-2026)

Sheila Chandra’s Echo released today

Swaken Lyrics

Spafford Campbell: Erasing genre and finding gold in the embers