Awa Sangho

Born in the desert land of Mali, Awa was raised in Dire, a community in the southern edge of the Sahara about 70 kilometers south of Timbuktu, a region noted for generating world-class musicians and was early educated in Bamako, Mali. Awa moved to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast as a young girl and quickly became immersed in its music and dance scene. she has performed with many top African artists including Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Oumou Sangare, Manu Dibango, and Amadou & Mariam. She is famed in West Africa as a founding member of the popular music and dance troupe Les Go De Koteba and has toured with Les Amazon D’Afrique. 

She has traveled the world with the well-regarded performance group L’Ensemble Koteba D’Abidjan. Known simply as Ensemble Koteba, the group was noted for its electric blend of theatre, music, chant and dance, and it offered Awa a rare opportunity to perform professionally and explore her diverse talents. Awa, along with two other women performers, formed Les Go De Koteba, a splinter group of the original Ensemble Koteba. With the focus now on music, the women produced and recorded five popular albums, which quickly spurred worldwide touring. Many of the compositions on those albums were conceived of and written by Awa, who became sought after by world-renowned musicians including Salif Keita, whose note of affection for this proud daughter and shining star of West Africa graces the CD. In all Ala Ta mesmerizes with its introduction of Awa Sangho’s life stories.

Awa’s star as a solo recording artist began to rise in 2014 when she released her masterful and acclaimed debut album, Alá Ta, on the Multi-GRAMMY-winning Motéma label.  Awa is now gearing up to release her second album, NEW WORLD, on Motéma soon.  The first single from that album, titled "MAMA!," came out on Mother's Day in 2024, delivering a tender, heartfelt, and deeply grooving Afrobeat message of love and gratitude to mothers everywhere.  To learn more, visit awasanghomusic.com and be sure to follow Awa’s socials and join her mailing list to hear about upcoming concerts and releases.