Dripping in colourful cloth and star power, when Grammy-nominated artist Fatoumata Diawara takes the stage, everyone pays attention.

Power, energy, and a dynamic voice have propelled Fatoumata onto the world stage. A major figure in African music, her lush and vibrant albums and collaborations with music industry heavyweights, such as Damon Albarn, Oumou Sangaré and Disclosure, have enabled her to tell the story of the suffering and rediscovered joys of Africa, and the issues of womanhood in her mother tongue, Bambara. In 2026, Fatoumata released Massa, a powerful and emotional album, and teamed up with Gibson Epiphone as the first woman of colour to be honoured with a signature guitar. A shredder at heart but a free woman above all else, she uses art as a path to address human rights violations and personal hardships, transforming them into a universal message of hope and resilience. Having fled Mali at the age of 19 to write her own story, Fatoumata Diawara continues, at 43, to examine society’s flaws while celebrating her dual life as an artist and a mother.

Returning after a spectacular WOMADelaide debut in 2019, we welcome back the queen of contemporary African music.