Fanta Diabaté, known by the stage name Fanta Mara, was born on June 12, 1971 in Kankan to a Griot family in Sididou. Her father Sidikaramo Diabaté Balafoniste, author and composer of the popular songcom Mamaya and Djarabie, is also the founder of the instrumental ensemble of Kankan with her mother Alama Kante accompanying him with vocals. She was a griot singer.
At the age of 7, Fanta was introduced to singing with her parents at ceremonies such as baptisms and weddings. They urged Fanta to learn the code of the balafon language. Balafon is the instrument that contains the history of Mandinka Africa (West Africa). This explains the difference between a singer and a griotte (griot singer).
Beyond tradition, she took singing lessons every night to work on her voice. In 1989, Fanta released her first album recorded in Liberia. In the early 1990s, she moved to Conakry (capital of the Republic of Guinea), where she was able to work with many Guinean artists, but especially with Kanté Manfila. In 1992, Kanté Manfila arranged a contract in Germany for her husband (Papa Diabaté).
On this tour, other projects led them to settle in France, where they met Cornelius Claudio, with whom they formed an Afro-jazz group called Fodoumbé, with which they toured the world. In 2007 she released her second album, titled Anaka Douma, in which there is a mixture of Mandinka music and modern rhythms. Today she continues her solo career, respecting the traditional Mandinka music. The singing, the balafon and the kora are the heart of Fanta Mara's music.