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).