Mariam Bagayoko keeps Mali's old sounds alive at 88

Malian singer Mariam Bagayoko is still performing at 88, using songs, dance and traditional instruments to keep the music of Mali's Beledougou region alive.

Known as the "Nightingale of Beledougou", Bagayoko performed at Bamako's Palace of Culture with a yabara percussion instrument and the n'goussoumbala, a large balafon associated with central-western Mali.

In late 2025, she received a lifetime achievement honour at the Aga Khan Music Awards in London. The jury praised her dedication to preserving and passing on Mali's musical heritage, especially to women and girls.

Bagayoko was born in Kolokani, north of Bamako, and said she learned to sing before she could speak. She told AFP that as a child she followed village women as they pounded shea nuts for butter and joined their songs with a small calabash.

Her music draws on old songs and comments on social issues. One of her best-known performances is "Ciwara", a tribute to farmers and hard work.

Bagayoko said she worries that traditional music is losing its value as technology and foreign influences reshape local sounds. Through her cultural project Tiebilentie, she has helped revive an acrobatic masked dance once reserved for ritual ceremonies.

She said her children and younger performers give her confidence that the tradition will continue.