Please note: guests ages 12 and up will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, along with ID, to attend this event. Go here for more information about the Museum's proof of vaccination policy.

Four electrifying vocalists with roots on the African continent will honour the role of women and mothers in carrying on musical traditions in a one-time-only concert at the Aga Khan Museum.

Co-produced and curated by Batuki Music Society, Songs of My Mother will showcase diverse stories and musical styles from different regions of sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Featured will be two JUNO Award winners, South African-born Lorraine Klassen and Mali-born Djeli Tapa Diarra. Also on the all-star bill for October 15 are Mis Blandine, a mesmerizing singer-songwriter originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan-born performer Ruth Mathiang, whose pulsating sound mixes traditional African music with hip-hop, Afrobeat, and reggae.

This presentation shines a light on female singers and their significance in African customs, rituals, and ceremonies. The first words or language that a child hears from their mother are often shared in song. This introduction to sound and words through song is a very common element in the bonding process between a mother and her newborn in most African cultures. Though singing is not solely done by women in most African societies, it is true that the female voice is ever present and yet is not given a prominent role that it deserves. Women are often relegated to the background and discouraged from assuming leading roles, especially as bandleaders.