A West African singer of Peulh origin, Awa Poulo hails from the rural commune of Dilly in southwestern Mali. Although it is somewhat rare for a Peulh woman to be a public performer, she and her band found success developing a sound that combined regional folk styles using flute, n'goni, and calabash percussion with the more mainstream Malian influence of distorted guitars and heavier rock elements. After self-releasing a series of cassettes and CDs, Poulo worked with international label Awesome Tapes to release her first widely distributed album, 2017's Poulo Warali. ~ Timothy Monger