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Duke Arts Presents

Rokia Traoré
Beautiful Africa

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 | 8:00 pm

Reynolds Industries Theater


**Health issues will prevent Ms. Traoré from playing her April 1 concert at Duke Performances. The South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela has made arrangements to fill in for Ms. Traoré on this date. Your tickets for Rokia Traoré will provide access to the Vusi Mahlasela show. However, if you would like to exchange your tickets for another show on Duke Performances 2014/15 season, or you would like a refund on your purchase, please contact the Duke University Box Office at 919-684-4444 weekdays 11am-6pm.**

The extraordinary Malian musician Rokia Traoré spent nearly two decades creating a sound that is utterly contemporary yet deeply rooted in her West African homeland. As the daughter of a Malian diplomat, the musician grew up traveling the globe, rapidly absorbing cultures as the family moved from Belgium to France to Algeria to Saudi Arabia. “Traoré is indeed a remarkable artist — it is difficult to think of anyone else who can switch from ancient Malian culture to African rock and roll” (Guardian).

Traoré’s most recent release on Nonesuch Records, Beautiful Africa, earned five stars from the Observer and Songlines, which raved: “Music from Africa really doesn’t get better than this … exciting, surprising, and always perfectly executed.” The New York Times wrote: “Traoré has a gentle voice with a steely core, one that’s revealed more clearly than ever on Beautiful Africa.” However fine her recordings, Traoré is perhaps most celebrated for her live show, which Time Out London says is “arguably the most exciting, most thrilling live African music show around.”

Made possible, in part, with support from the Duke Africa Initiative, a faculty-led initiative that brings together scholars from across the University and Health System who have a shared interest, whether through their research or programmatic activities, in the countries and cultures of the African continent.