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