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Artist
Amy Koïta
12+ albums
west africamaliafrika
about
Amy Koïta was born in Djoliba at the eve of the African independences(early fifties), at 40 kilometres from Bamako, in the heart of the deep "Mande", on the borders of the Niger River and a few-hour walk from Guinea. Her mother is from Kirina, place of the famous fight of Sundiata Keïta at the XIII century. She's proud of her pure Mandingo origins. She lost her father at the age of 3. This one, Bengaly Fodé Koïta, traditionalist of the pure and hard line, is still well-known in Mali for his contribution to the historic of the kings' and emperors' of Mande conquests such as Sundiata Keïta, and to the different colonial battles led by war chiefs such as Samory Touré, emperor of the wassoulou, Babemba king of Sikasso, Tiramangan Traoré, Fakoly Doumbia, El Hadj Oumar Tall etc. At her father's death, she goes to Bamako with her mother but she will always have special links with Djoliba. Her grand-mother, who reached the age of 100 and died in 1992, stays her constant inspiration source by her model of Mandingo purity in opposition to the hybrid language and culture of the great towns. Wa Kamissoko, her mother's brother, famous international historian because he has written with Youssouf Tata Cissé a part of the Mandingo history (Les Grandes Gestes du Mali); will take care of her education during 20 years. Amy is from a griot family. Her father, by his fidelity to the old chief of Djoliba memory, made the vow to never praise again after his death. So she learned -with her m
