Rokia Traore' (the daughter of a diplomat, raised in Paris) expressed her anguish in a gentle tone on Mouneissa (1998) and especially Wanita (2000) over hypnotic rhythmic patterns based on the kora harp, the ngoni lute and the balafon xylophone, but rather neutral in terms of ethnic origin. Her music could as well be classified as modern classical music, or avantgarde jazz. Bowmboi (2003) is even more pensive and austere, augmenting her quietly stately meditations with a string quartet and approaching the lyrical minimalism of Laurie Anderson.