Fatoumata Diawara

West African singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara has a back story not unlike many of today’s cosmopolitan Africans. She was born in Ivory Coast to parents from Mali and now lives in Paris. She’s a stage and film actress, singer, and songwriter. There's a world of experience that shines through on her album ‘Fatou’ which plays to her roots, but retains an infectious western pop sensibility.  Fatoumata and her band are playing tonight at the Dana Center, St. Anselm College, and on Saturday at the Spaulding Auditorium at Dartmouth.

Fatoumata live: