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Siramory Diabaté

Her voice was so beautiful and so powerful that her aunt was forced to use supernatural powers to protect her from jealousy, covetousness and bewitching which are habits of her caste. Despite this protection, Siramory Diabaté lost brutally her voice. But already female griot star, she was saved by the traditional healers and one of them predicts to her: "when you will open the mouth to sing from now on, all the other professional singers will keep silent out of emotion".

This prophecy realized because from there, the voice of Siramory Diabaté will give shivers to the Mandékaw (inhabitants of Mande, a major natural area of Mali). This deep voice, developed by the balaphon of her husband Namory Kouyaté, revalorized the rich repertory of Mande. Siramory was almost the only professional singer whose talent woke up in the Mandékaw the pride and bravery.

And her fetish song, Sara depicts eloquently what made the glory of the "massarenw" (inhabitants of Mande): the respect of the promise. Like Ba Zoumana, she celebrated the independent Mali. And like the Old Lion, the Nightingale refused the praises of the leaders and rich person of her time because her only Djatigui was the Mande. For the elegant and eloquent Siramory, "dignity is the udder to which all the virtues suck without distinction of race, but always in the mercy of Allah".