Gibson and Musician Mom Fatoumata Diawara Unveil Signature Epiphone SG
Just in time for NAMM, Gibson announced the launch of the Fatoumata Diawara signature Epiphone SG, making the musician mom the first woman of color to receive an Epiphone signature guitar,
Celebrated worldwide for her distinctive fusion of traditional Wassoulou (Malian) sounds with modern global influences, Diawara began her career in France as an actress before shifting her focus to music. Since then she’s collaborated with a diverse and impressive roster of artists, including -M-, Angélique Kidjo, Oumou Sangaré, Disclosure, Damon Albarn, Paul McCartney, and Herbie Hancock. Diawara has also appeared in acclaimed films such as Timbuktu and Sia, and The Dream of the Python.
“Ninety percent of Malian[s] don’t know Jimi Hendrix,” Diawara said in a recent interview posted by Epiphone. “We don’t have access to the universe of music. So to tell you how much we listen to Malian music … all the time.”
Diawar’s passion for the Epiphone Muse SG™ led to the collaboration with Epiphone: Her signature SG model guitar features a mahogany body topped with her signature graphic, a set mahogany neck with a Custom C profile, and a bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid trapezoid inlays.
Gold hardware accents include a LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge, LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece, and Epiphone locking tuners, paired with a Graph Tech® nut for tuning stability. The headstock proudly displays the Epiphone logo and Gibson Crown in mother-of-pearl, along with a two-ply truss rod cover engraved with Fatou’s signature in gold. Coordinated details such as red pickup rings,
See Diawara play it in the video posted by Epiphone — and marvel at its beauty and power.
