Coumba Gawlo is one of Africa’s most celebrated singers and songwriters. Affectionately known as the “Voix d'or du Sénégal" (Golden Voice of Senegal), she has captivated audiences around the world for more than three decades. Born in Thiès, Senegal, she began performing at an early age alongside her mother, the renowned griot and singer Fatou Kiné Mbaye. In 1986, at the age of 14, she won a national singing competition with the song Soweto, written by her father, the late Laye Bamba Seck.

Over the years, Coumba Gawlo rose to international prominence through an outstanding career that has earned her numerous awards and established her as one of the leading artists on the African continent.
Beyond her musical achievements, she has long committed to humanitarian and social causes.

Through the association Lumière pour l’Enfance – Coumba Gawlo (LPE-CG), as well as in her capacity as a Goodwill Ambassador and Champion for several national and international organizations, she actively promotes education, health, women’s empowerment, child protection and youth development. A dedicated advocate for social justice, she uses music as a bridge between cultures and as a powerful tool for awareness-raising and positive social change.

As an FAO Champion, and particularly in support of the International Year of Women Farmers 2026, Coumba Gawlo is helping to highlight the indispensable contribution of rural women in the agrifood systems to agrifood systems. She raises awareness of the challenges women farmers continue to face, including unequal access to land, finance, technology and markets, while celebrating their role as producers, entrepreneurs, innovators and stewards of natural resources and household food security.

Coumba Gawlo firmly believes that empowering women farmers is not only a matter of equity, but one of the most effective investments we can make in building a more sustainable, prosperous and food-secure future for all.