Ami Koita

Ami Koita brings a woman's perspective to the music of Mali. Known for her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence, Koita has become a role model for the women of West Africa. Although she was born in Kirina — the same village as Salif Keita — Koita comes from a much different ancestral background. While Keita was born to a family of nobility and went against his parent's wishes to become a musician, Koita was born to a Jali family in which music was an accepted form of expression. Initially focusing on traditional Jali music, has has increasingly adopted modern influences.