Déné Issébéré
(Mali)

Djembe
Biography
Déné Issébéré is a young singer at the start of her career. She spent the first 14 years of her life in Algeria, where her father (the poet Hamadoun Issébéré) was working as a diplomat. Since she didn't speak arabic, she spent much time watching TV, thus starting to imitate singing songs she saw on the small screen. Her father noticed her interest in music and offered her instruments like a guitar and a piano.

In 1994, she returned to Bamako. At school, she sang at school manifestations, and she participated in underground rap concerts. Soon she was asked to sing on the album « Tugna » of a rap group named King Da Dja, an album produced by Salif Keita.
Although it was planned that she would record on several albums with Salif Keita's producer Eric Bono, this didn't materialise as Bono left Mali. Déné didn't loose her courage and she could sing on the album « Kokadjè » by Les Escrocs. With Toumani Diabaté she recorded a single « Bikanou », and soon a contract was signed for an album at Mali K7.

Déné, as a Dogon, does not make traditional Malian music, nor does she limit herself to one specific genre or style. Her debut album « Ogopo » comprise eight songs in different styles. Continuing as a backing vocal on various Malian albums, she produced a second album « Ladilikan ». After she met Manu Eveno of the French band Tryo, they started working together on a European version of « Ladilikan » (2010).


Dene Issebere
 Déné Issébéré
• Musicians on the Ladilikan album (2006):
Yacouba Sissoko n'goni, percussion
Bassekou Kouyaté n'goni
Cheik Tidiane Seck keyboards
Sekou Kante bass
Samba Diabate guitar, n'goni
Hamet Fofana guitar, calabash
Baba Salah guitar
Adama Yalomba Traore kamelen n'goni
Mamadou Kone "Prince" calabash
Zoumana Tereta Sokou (traditional violin)
Mamadou Diallo fula flute


Fabien Kisoka (group Taranta Babu) sax
Mathias Mahler (group Taranta Babu) trombone
Cisko accordeon
Shérif kora
Manjul guitar
Stéphane Bonvent drums
M'Baou Tounkara, Julie Demaison backing vocals
Born: 1980, in Bamako
Style: a mix of folkoric music, rap and raga


Discography
Title Year Label Remarks
Ladilikan 2010 Déné Issébéré Production CD, 2010 remix
Ladilikan 2006 Déné Issébéré Production CD
Djigui (Ogopo) 2001 Mali K7 Cassette / CD-R
Sources
mali-music.com (website possibly not safe)
www.deneissebere.fr/en/biography (website possibly not safe) 
Page added February 2002