Fatoumata Diawara has released a music video for ‘Nsera (Destination)’, a track taken from her soon-to-be-released, much anticipated new album. This full-length follows a 2018 Grammy nomination for Fenfo (Something to Say) and recent EP Maliba, which saw her working with historical artefacts from Timbuktu to forge a musical act of remembrance.

Fatoumata’s music and videos have never shied away from the political, and ‘Nsera’ is no different. Directed by Grégory Ohrel and filmed in Senegal, this cut, featuring long-term collaborator Damon Albarn, sees Fatoumata embark on a complex search for home. As she urges her audience to learn about Africa, Fatoumata explores themes of neo-colonial violence, child militarisation, and captivity.

The complexities of home in Africa are beautifully visualised and enhanced through the bright colours that have become a staple of Fatoumata’s style. The colour adds an optimism to the video’s defiant, sometimes distressing, tone. The piece ends, fittingly, with lights being held up in darkness and Fatoumata smiling as the camera moves outward to show the Malian cityscape, her destination.