Powerful presence: Fatoumata Diawara performing at the CTIJF 2026. Photo: Armand Hough
It’s a warm Saturday afternoon in Cape Town. Music lovers are beginning to trickle into the CTICC hosting the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF). I’m in the media centre, excited for my next interview of the day.
In walks Fatoumata Diawara, the artist I have been looking forward to speaking to.
She im...
During the interview, Diawara spoke about feeling a strong ancestral presence in South Africa, which she attributed to the energy of the place being particularly strong. This connection to her heritage is evident in her music and performance style, where she incorporates traditional elements while also making them accessible to an international audience. Her activism against FGM is deeply personal, as she survived the procedure herself as a child. She wears a mask during performances as a way to...
