Stop Excision is a compilation of songs for women’s rights produced in Mali in 2000 by Susan McLucas, along with a committee of Malian activists and people in the world of music.
It includes 8 songs in 5 local languages that call on people to abandon the tradition of female genital mutilation (FGM) or excision. The other songs are about other women’s rights, like the rights of maids to be paid enough and the rights of all women to respect.
The artists who are mostly well-known are: Kanida Kouyaté, Amy Koita, Fantani Touré, Coumba Sidibé, Adama Namakoro Fomba, Neba Solo, the National Instrumental Ensemble of Mali, Nayini Koné, the Zotto Boys, Aly Bodel, Aly Baba Cissé, and Bafing Coul. Most of the songs are in Bambara, the main Malian language, but there are also songs in Sarakolé, Pulaar, Dogon and Senoufo.
The committee that produced the album consisted of Amadou Gano, director of SI3; Ibrahim Diombana "Barbu", professor of music; Issa Coulibaly (Bafing Coul), musician; Aly Traoré Castro, manager and promoter; Mohamed Sanous Diakité, producer; and Susan McLucas aka Mariam Sacko, coordinator and initiator. The committee invited musicians to participate in the project and most of those approached were happy to sing out against FGM.
These songs have been played extensively on Malian radio stations since 2000. Some of the songs have also come out on TV.
It is unusual to hear so many different musicians and styles of music on one album -- Wassalou, rap, traditional, reggae.
Being heard in Mali is the main purpose for the album, but if people elsewhere are interested in hearing the music, they can also purchase it from Healthy Tomorrow.
We put all the profits into the struggle against FGM.
Stop Excision was produced with help from the Canadian Center for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) with financing from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA.)
The CD sells for $10-$20, your choice. The lyrics are translated into English in the cover booklet.
There is also an audiotape of the same album that sells for $5-$10, your choice. This is the way most people know the album in Mali.
We hope is that listening to these songs, and singing these songs, will make it easier for Malians and other West Africans to let go of a part of their tradition that is hurting their girls.