* En anglais uniquement
Born to a mother of aristocratic Manding lineage and a father from the Ivory Coast,
Aicha Kone was forbidden by her parents to follow a life of music. Eventually, inspired by American soul singers such as
Aretha Franklin and African soul singers such as South African
Miriam Makeba, she covertly joined the National Institute of the Arts of the Ivory Coast, where she began her studies. She released her first solo album in 1981 and has since worked extensively with other artists, including
Kante Manfila (of Les Ambassadeurs, along with
Salif Keita) and
Manu Dibango. ~ Adam Greenberg