Seya

Elder stateswoman of Malian music is joined by 47 collaborators who provide a seamless mix of old and new sounds for her confident vocals and activist lyrics.

If she sang in English, Oumou Sangare would likely be mentioned in the same breath as artists such as Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, vocalists who not only fashioned a unique manner of putting across in a song but directly and poignantly addressed the lives and struggles of women in their music.

<p>This is Sangar&eacute;'s first new album in six years, and she's still in confident, impressive form, says <strong>Robin Denselow</strong></p>