Sali Sidibé (Mali, 1959 - February 8, 2019) was a Malian singer and songwri… Read Full Bio ↴Sali Sidibé (Mali, 1959 - February 8, 2019) was a Malian singer and songwriter.

Born in a village in the Wassoulou region of southern Mali, Sali Sidibe sang in Bambara.

With her gutsy, neo-traditional vocals set to a unique blend of didai, sigui, and sogonikun dance rhythms, Sali Sidibe is one of Mali's greatest vocalists. Recording her first singles in the '60s, she helped to lay the foundation for the Wassoulou music of the '80s. According to RootsWorld, "A mixture of stark beauty and tonal richness, the music of Mali is compelling and enchanting. The voice of Sali Sidibe captures all of that range and depth." In addition to releasing a solo album, Wassoulou Foli, in 1993, Sidibe has recorded an album, Whirl-Y-Waves, with the London to Africa All Stars.

Wassoulou is a genre of West African popular music named for the Wassoulou cultural area.
Wassoulou music is performed mostly by women. Some recurring themes in the lyrics are childbearing, fertility, and polygamy. Instrumentation includes soku (a traditional fiddle sometimes replaced with modern imported instruments), djembe drum, kamalen n'goni (a six-stringed harp), karinyan (metal tube percussion) and bolon (a four-stringed harp). The vocals are often passionate and emphatic, and delivered in a call-and-response pattern.
Prominent Wassoulou artists include Oumou Sangaré, Coumba Sidibe, Dienaba Diakite, Kagbe Sidibe, Sali Sidibe, Jah Youssouf, and Fatoumata Diawara.