Yankaw (1997)

"Doumbia would sing with her friends, and was eventually discovered in 1980 by civil servants from the country's Ministry of Culture, and persuaded to sing in the National Youth Week. Doumbia won the contest, which brought government support for her singing, allowing her to develop her style, based on the traditional didadi rhythm of her native region. Even so, it wasn't until 1988 that she issued her first album, Didadi (1989 U.S. release). It's very Western gloss was at odds with the rootsiness of her voice. Two years later, she brought things more back to the ground, collaborating with a host of African talent, such as guitarist Rigo Starr and members of Salif Keita's band. Mangoni, in 1993, followed a similar plot line. Her voice had developed, but she hadn't really found her individuality yet. That started to flower with Yaknaw in 1997, which unleashed a true Wassoulou sound, similar to that of Oumou Sangare, who'd already gone on to international success." (Allmusic)

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