Awa Dramé
 
HOMAGE TO HAWA DRAME
The elegant queen of authenticity

Great diva of the Malian music, Hawa Dramé was an emblematic professional singer initiated to music since her youth by her mother Doussou Koné. Her success was hardly surprising because she was the heiress of legendary descendants of griots who were the voice and the memory of the royal families of the Bambaras.
Having contracted the virus of music by the mother's milk since her tender childhood, Hawa Dramé gives her first concert at six years old. It was during the invitation of a band of young Bozo people that she marvellously interpreted a famous song of her mother. A song dedicated to a charismatic Fulani of Sanga: Yorodian. This first attempt was a true blow of fate because the girl amazed all the spectators. She then immediately became the favourite singer of the entire region.
Thereafter, Hawa Dramé integrated the theatrical troop of the region of Segou. The Super Biton of the city of the Balanzans borrowed her famous songs like "Lèfènin". One can say that her talent had enabled her to be quickly integrated in the troop.
Then in 1968, after the military coup, Souraka Djéli integrated the national instrumental Ensemble of Mali. There, she composed two fabulous tracks which are master pieces of the emblematic musical formation: the epics of Da Monzon and Zazourou. But the sterile competitions forced her to give up the Ensemble after three years of remarkable presence.
The sublime child of Niono had already made herself a name to launch out in a solo career. Her celebrity allowed her to furrow the whole world. She made packed halls in cities like Abidjan, Accra, Ouagadougou, Yaoundé, Brazzaville, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, etc.
Souraka Djéli was requested anywhere a strong colony of Malian and even other African was present. In Paris, she sang with the "African Ballets" that she accompanied in European tours. Other famous songs like "Me baoudi", "Poï", "Ségoutigiton","Digile"will supplement the rich repertory of her very brilliant career. During nearly 30 years Hawa Dramé carried out only one battle: the safeguard of the authenticity of the Bamanan rhythm. She thus appeared as one of the last bastions of the traditional music. "The Bamanan rhythm is in the origins of the jazz", she said during one of her last appearances on TV in June 1996 in the emission " Top Etoiles ". An engagement which means a lot in the proud she drew from the authenticity. The particularity of Souraka Djéli is that she wasn’t interested only in one rhythm. One met in her songs the "Bamanan juru" and the "bajuru"; a bajuru different from the one of the area of Kayes. But she especially distinguished herself by the originality of her compositions which became standards such as "Mbaoudi" "Nyongomary" and all the series of the Bambara epics. We will always remember a humble image of an original and modest professional singer; a disconcerting simplicity which had subjugated a lot of people.
"Her music remained pure as much as Hawa remained natural. Neither fortune nor notoriety has been able to transfigure her ", testifies one to her many admirers. Without make-up or ostentatious earrings, a decent behaviour … This is how the diva appeared on scene. These various qualities and her sweet voice enabled her to conquer the heart of thousands fans.
However, contrary to other professional singers, the elegant Souraka Djéli readily recognized that the music had brought her many things. It brought her houses and grounds for inhabitation use in Bamako and Segou, gold, money, cars, hundreds of cows, etc. Mother of seven children, Souraka Djéli was struck down by death on July 21, 1996 after a heart attack.
It’s an immense fortune that she left to her heirs among which "Fanta Suruku" who followed her steps on the musical scene. But, it will not be easy for her to equalize the talent and the vocal beauty of her mother. In any case Hawa Dramé marvellously played her partition (social and musical) before leaving the scene.
The editorial staff
Legend of a fantastic line
Her paternal ancestor, named Nogo Tomo Dramé, was "Souraka Djéli" originating from Nioro. He came to settle in Fala, in Nogales near Kolongo where the chiefs where the Samaké. Nogo Tomo and his descendants put themselves at the service of these noble Samaké by becoming their griots. However, their "Diatigui" (hosts) are the blacksmiths Ballo to whom Hawa Dramé paid tribute in the famous song "Numu foli". Her father, Tiéna Dramé, was a mechanical workman at the Office of Niger and her mother, Doussou Koné, female griot singer of the line of the Diarra of Segou (descendant of Da Monzon).
Dedications
* In 1980, Hawa Drame took down the price of the best artist of Mali
* In 1990 the price of the best artist was awarded to her by the United Nations. A distinction which enabled her to take part, as an observer, in the conference of Diepa organized in New Delhi (India) between 10 and 14 of September 1990 about the protection of the environment (conference for total consultation in Safe Water year Sanitation for the 1900’s). She was the only artist chosen within this framework.
* In 1996 she obtains the Medal of the national merit order.
01/03/2004