Hawa Boussim

Hawa Boussim (born c. 1971 in Kipoura, Burkina Faso) is a Burkinabé singer and host. She has represented Burkina Faso in the Own Africavision Song Contest 1, placing first, being the first ever Own Africavision Song Contest winner, and the first win ever for Burkina Faso, with her song "Hme ye" collecting 198 points. She also represented Burkina Faso in the Own Africavision Song Contest 4, placing second with the song "Dolada", only loosing to South Africa by 22 points.

Early Life & Career
Hawa Boussim was born around 1971 in Kipoura, in the province of Boulgou, Burkina Faso, just a few kilometres from the border with Ghana. From the age of 14, she sang for her community for various occasions like baptisms, weddings and funerals but she wasn't given an opportunity of a complete education. She expresses herself and sings in the Bissa language. She became the third wife of a household with four wives.

In 2009, she took part in a contest organised by a local cultural association and won. Thanks to a member of her family, Jean-Pierre Boussim, director of a radio station in Zabré, the opportunity arose to record her first self-produced album, Môbidoré, in 2011. She then agreed to associate her singing, with ancestral roots, with Afropop instruments like those fashionable in neighbouring Nigeria. She appeared on television as well as Festival MASA. She has performed in stages in West Africa, from Burkina Faso to the Ivory Coast, in Europe and in the United States. In 2017, she released a second album, Mingoureza. The album met success and notoriety for its cultural associations and its discussion of a social problem, food waste and waste in general.

She was, meanwhile, spotted by Sony Music, especially by José da Silva. In April 2018, she won the Kundé d'Or.

Own Africavision Song Contest 1 : "Hme ye"
Hawa has represented Burkina Faso in the Own Africavision Song Contest twice, the first time she participated was in the Own Africavision Song Contest 1 with a song in Bissa language, the first ever Own Africavision Song Contest as well as the first ever entry from Burkina Faso. She was rumoured by the bookies to be a favourite through the competition, and this proved to be correct, as she placed first in the semi and final, being the first ever Own Africavision Song Contest winner, and the first win ever for Burkina Faso, with her song "Hme ye" collecting 198 points. As a result, Burkina Faso hosted the Own Africavision Song Contest 2 in Ouagadougou, with Burkina Faso being the host country and also automatically qualified.

Own Africavision Song Contest 4 : "Dolada"
Hawa came back to represent Burkina Faso in the Own Africavision Song Contest 4 for the second time, after Fleur caused Burkina Faso to not qualify to the final for the first time ever. RTB had faith in Hawa and chose her latest single "Dolada", also sung in the Bissa Language. She travelled to Mauritius, and managed to place second with the song in both the semi final and final, only loosing to South Africa by 22 points. To date, this makes Hawa the most successful person in the Own Africavision Song Contest history, as she has come top 2 on both of her participations.