Singer and musician from Mali on tour to Denmark and Sweden

The Royal Academy of Music (RAMA)’s long-standing engagement in the West African country of Mali is now bringing one of the nation’s great musical talents to Denmark.

Suaré Virginie Dembele, with her voice and her instrument, represents Mali’s noble musical traditions. With deep respect for her roots, she brings a fresh perspective to the music through lyrics written from a modern female point of view. Together with her band from Mali, Suaré Virginie Dembele will perform a total of 10 concerts in Denmark and Sweden, from April 25 to May 10, including two performances at the SPOT Festival 2025 in Aarhus. (Concert overview at the bottom of the page.)

On Friday, May 2, she performs at 11:00 PM at Roots&Hybrid at Turkis, part of SPOT Festival. She appears with her band, which includes balafon, guitar, bass, and drums.

Earlier the same day, Friday, May 2, Suaré Virginie Dembele will participate in a talk and mini-concert at Basho Records, Graven 21, Aarhus, where she will speak with Moussa Diallo and Mikas Bøgh, using musical examples to explore Mali’s music culture and offer her view on why Mali has so much to offer musically. (Moussa Diallo is a Danish/Malian bassist; Mikas Bøgh is a former student at RAMA. Both have deep insight into West African music.)

Suaré Virginie Dembele – Innovator and Trailblazer

With powerful energy, a beautiful voice, and a unique instrument she builds herself — a blend between a guitar and the traditional ngoni — Suaré Virginie Dembele captivates her audience with authenticity and intensity.

Together with her band, she presents the music and traditions of her people. At the same time, as an instrumentalist, lyricist, and ambitious artist, she challenges the industry’s expectations of her as a woman — especially in a country like Mali.

Dembele’s visit continues a long tradition of renowned Malian artists breaking through internationally — such as Salif Keita and Oumou Sangaré 20–30 years ago, and more recently Tinariwen and Fatoumata Diawara.

RAMA’s Mali Project

For many years, the Royal Academy of Music has been involved in a major capacity-building project in Mali, aimed at strengthening local music academies and providing access to international collaboration — thereby contributing to peace and reconciliation in a country marked by internal conflict.

As a key part of this work, the Academy has supported the development of SPOT on Mali, a counterpart to Aarhus’ SPOT Festival. In celebration of the festival’s 10th anniversary in 2024, Suaré Virginie Dembele was selected from among the artists for a tour of Denmark, including performances at SPOT 2025. During her visit, she will also hold internal workshops at the Academy.

As of this writing (April 2025), it is unclear whether the festival in Mali will continue. In autumn 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Danish embassy in Bamako would close due to a series of military coups, which have severely limited the possibilities for action in the Sahel region. As a result, RAMA’s collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the agreement “Peace building and reconciliation through artistic citizenship for young artists in Mali (2021–25)” will end by the close of 2025. However, RAMA will continue to collaborate with partners in Mali through Erasmus and Glomus.

Full Concert Schedule – Suaré Virginie Dembele in Denmark and Sweden:

• April 25 at 20:00 – Kulturhuset Gimle, near Kalundborg

• April 26 at 20:00 – Lev & Lær Gården, near Svendborg

• April 29 at 20:00 – Alice, Copenhagen

• May 1 at 20:00 – Huset i Hasserisgade, Aalborg

• May 2 at 13:30 – Talk & concert, Basho Records, Graven 21, Aarhus / SPOT Festival

• May 2 at 23:00 – Roots and Hybrid, Aarhus / SPOT Festival

• May 7 at 20:00 – Godset, Kolding

• May 9 at 12:30 – Hanninge Kulturhus, near Stockholm

• May 9 at 20:00 – Stallet, Stockholm

• May 10 at 20:00 – Kulturmaskinen, Odense