Mamadou Sidibe played a major role in transforming the popular Wassoulou music of Mali.  He was one of the first to break with tradition by creating the now widely used eight-string kamale ngoni, a lute-harp-like instrument that exudes a deep, soulful sound. Mamadou broadened the songs from sacred hunters melodies to a popular music of philosophical observations, politics and daily African life.  Stylus magazine calls his music, “an almost seamless blend of blues licks and African rhythms.  At the center of his music is the same sensibility that you’ll find in Muddy Waters: a sense of music as a tool for the re-creation of everyday life into something special, even magical.”

Mamadou has toured with Malian greats Oumou Sangare, Coumba Sidibe, and Toumani Diabate in Africa, Europe and the US.  Since settling on the west coast, he’s garnered various awards, including Grand Prize at the John Lennon Songwriting Competition (World Music), Winner of the Billboard Songwriting Contest (World Category), and Winner of Global Rhythm Magazine Song Contest.