Mali Obomsawin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mali Obomsawin
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![]() Obomsawin in 2022
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Background information | |
Born | Stratford, New Hampshire, U.S. |
July 19, 1995
Genres | Jazz, Free Jazz, Folk music, Roots, Rock, Contemporary Indigenous |
Instruments | Double Bass, Electric Bass, Voice, Guitar |
Years active | 2014-present |
Labels | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Out Of Your Head Records |
Mali Obomsawin is an Indigenous musician. She is from the Abenaki First Nation at Odanak. Mali is a talented bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. She plays many types of music, including jazz, rock, and American roots music. Her first solo album, Sweet Tooth, came out in 2022. It was praised by people all over the world.
Contents
Early Life
Mali Obomsawin was born in Stratford, New Hampshire. She is a member of the Abenaki First Nation. This nation is located at Odanak in Quebec, Canada. Mali also has Sephardic Jewish family roots. She grew up in Farmington, Maine. Mali started playing the double bass when she was ten years old.
Education
In 2013, Mali Obomsawin began studying at Berklee College of Music. Later, she moved to Dartmouth College. She earned two degrees from Dartmouth in 2018. Her studies were in comparative literature and government.
Music Career
Starting in Music
In 2014, Mali joined her first band, Lula Wiles. This group was a folk-rock trio. They traveled and performed a lot in the US, Canada, and Germany. People loved their three-part harmonies and new songs. In 2018, Lula Wiles signed with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. They released three popular albums. The band stopped playing together in 2021.
Performing with Others
Mali Obomsawin often plays music with other artists. She performs with Jake Blount and Peter Apfelbaum. She also plays with Taylor Ho Bynum. Mali is part of Bill Cole's Untempered Ensemble. She also plays with The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band.
Solo Album Success
Mali Obomsawin's first solo album was called Sweet Tooth. It was released on October 28, 2022. The album received great reviews from around the world. Jazz Times called it their "album of the day". The Financial Times chose it as a "Critic’s Choice". The Guardian named it their "Folk Album of the Month". Mali and Taylor Ho Bynum worked together to produce the album.
Music in TV and Film
In 2023, Mali's music was featured on TV. It appeared in season 3 of the show "Reservation Dogs". This was in the episode "Deer Lady". She also created music for a National Geographic Documentary. The film is called Sugarcane. It was shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024.
Recent Projects
In 2024, Mali released her second album. She used the name Deerlady for this project. Deerlady is a duo with guitarist Magdalena Abrego. Mali also released an album with Jake Blount called "symbiont". This album came out on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. On December 10, 2024, National Geographic released Mali's music for the "Sugarcane" film. This soundtrack was released by Hollywood Records.
Music Albums
As Mali Obomsawin
Title | Details | Type |
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Sugarcane (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
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Soundtrack |
Sweet Tooth |
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Studio Album |
As Deerlady
Title | Details | Type |
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Greatest Hits |
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Studio Album |
With Lula Wiles
Title | Details | Type |
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Shame and Sedition |
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Studio Album |
It's Cool |
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Single |
What Will We Do |
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Studio Album |
With Jake Blount
Title | Details | Type |
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Symbiont |
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Studio Album |