Fatoumata Diawara is a GRAMMY®-nominated guitarist, singer-songwriter, and actress celebrated for her distinctive fusion of traditional Wassoulou sounds with modern global influences. Born in the Ivory Coast in 1982 to Malian parents, she began her career in France as an actress before shifting her focus to music. Her 2011 debut album, Fatou, earned widespread acclaim and highlighted her skills as both a guitarist and vocalist. Over the years, she has collaborated with an impressive roster of artists, including -M-, Angélique Kidjo, Oumou Sangaré, Damon Albarn, Paul McCartney, and Herbie Hancock. Diawara has also appeared in acclaimed films such as Timbuktu and Sia, The Dream of the Python, continuing to inspire audiences worldwide through her art.
Her passion for the Epiphone Muse SG™ led to a collaboration with Epiphone to create her first signature SG model. Fatoumata Diawara is the first woman of color to receive an Epiphone signature guitar, a milestone that honors her extraordinary contributions to music and encourages future generations of women and people of color to follow their creative aspirations.
The Epiphone Fatoumata Diawara SG takes inspiration from the Muse SG and incorporates Fatoumata’s personal touches. It 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 rock-solid 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, Speed knobs, rear control covers, and toggle switch tip add a striking visual flair.
The guitar is equipped with two Epiphone Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers wired to modern electronics. Each pickup has its own volume control with push/pull coil-splitting, complemented by two tone controls—one standard and one with a push/pull phase switch for out-of-phase tones when both pickups are engaged. With its versatile electronics, bold design, and premium appointments, the Epiphone Fatoumata Diawara SG is as functional as it is stunning. Each guitar ships in a hardshell case for maximum protection on the road.
