That sound is evident on her debut release, Mouneissa, from 1998, but most evident on her 2000 release, Wanita. Unlike their signature wailing sound, her voice is smooth and gentle, and her arrangements, while somewhat minimalist, make use of both traditional instruments like the balafon, n'goni, and kora, and the acoustic guitar and electric bass.
MouneïssaTraore's musical style, however, has little in common with the griottes. The Bamana ethnic group did have a musical tradition of their own, especially among women, with performers called griots traveling to perform at weddings and gatherings. For Traore, though, the prohibitions were not as strict. For her countryman Salif Keita, who was a member of the Manding people, it was an almost insurmountable burden. However, her family was also part of Mali's nobility, which has traditional caste prohibitions against its members making music. There she was exposed to a variety of styles of music, from classical, jazz, and pop to Indian traditional composition. Her father was a diplomat and she spent her childhood traveling several continents - Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and France.
Rokia Traore's family was both a blessing and a curse for her musical career.
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