Still dancing at 88, Mali’s Mariam Bagayoko keeps tradition alive
- AFP – At the age of 88, barefoot and cinched into a belt of cowrie shells, renowned singer Mariam Bagayoko still sweeps across the stage with infectious energy, dazzling wide-eyed fans with the rhythms of a bygone Mali.
- Beloved at home and abroad, the "Nightingale of Beledougou" has spent a lifetime carrying the traditional music far beyond her homeland, fighting to keep it alive in the modern world.
- At Bamako's Palace of Culture, Bagayoko spun like a top, her knees bending and body dipping low before springing back up again as she threw her head back and forth.
Unverified
- AFP – At the age of 88, barefoot and cinched into a belt of cowrie shells, renowned singer Mariam Bagayoko still sweeps across the stage with infectious energy, dazzling wide-eyed fans with the rhythms of a bygone Mali.
- Beloved at home and abroad, the "Nightingale of Beledougou" has spent a lifetime carrying the traditional music far beyond her homeland, fighting to keep it alive in the modern world.
- At Bamako's Palace of Culture, Bagayoko spun like a top, her knees bending and body dipping low before springing back up again as she threw her head back and forth.
Sources: RFI