Fama M’baye is a Mauritanian singer who grew up in a family of griots, from whom she learned traditional Mauritanian singing, among other instruments aligned with the feminimine griot tradition — the calabash, traditional guitar, and the ‘balon’ drum (a percussion instrument reserved for women). In 2006, Fama started and continues to lead a modern griot-inspired Mauritanian orchestra named Jalladu Yella, which has taken part in performances and collaborations with musicians across West Africa. Fama founded the Fama M’Baye Foundation in 2019, which organizes social gatherings and music workshops for the youth, along with donation drives for impoverished women and children, with the mission to protect women and children, and to share and celebrate ‘feminine’ art forms.
Fama M’baye
