Awa Sangho is a proud daughter and shining star of West Africa. Raised in the desert north of Mali, where her stunning voice was first recognized and celebrated, educated in Bamako, where she learned the trade of music, Awa established herself in Abidjan, the capital of music production in the region in the 1980s. There, she sang, danced, acted, and began to travel the world with the legendary Ensemble Koteba, and the women-led band she co-founded in 1993, Les Go de Koteba.

Awa shone in all areas, and quickly established herself as one of the most talented artists the company has ever seen. Awa joined a contingent of some 25 Koteba artists to complete a 10-month performance and teaching residency in France. She went on to perform with Koteba in landmark European productions in Limoges (1988), Bordeaux (1990), Paris (1991), Avignon (1993), among others. Koteba also performed in the US, and, of course, in Africa, including the Francophonie Games in Niamey, Niger (2005), and the Togo Nouveau production for national reconciliation in Lome (2006), where Koteba trained and performed with 300 local artists.

All this was preamble to Awa’s move to New York City in 2011. This year, Awa unveils her first solo recording, Alataye Tougnaye “The Truth Belongs to God” (Motema). The album draws upon all Awa’s rich experiences, and realizes her long-held goal of presenting a personal musical vision, and assuming the role of cultural ambassador to the world.