Mariam Bagayoko is an esteemed singer, dancer, and instrumentalist known as the "Nightingale of Bélédougou", a region of the pre-colonial Bambara Empire, now in central Mali. It was there that Bagayoko grew up, singing simple tunes while collecting shea nuts and creating makeshift instruments for women working in the fields.

Today, Bagayoko is well-known for her powerful vocal performances in the Bambara singing tradition, her skillful playing of the yabara, a large gourd shaker, and the unique way she dances atop the balafon, a xylophone with wooden bars and gourd resonators. She is considered a master of the n’goussounbala, a large balafon with especially resonant gourds specific to the Bélédougou region.

Bagayoko has played a crucial role in the cultural preservation of Malian music and choreography. Her Tiébilentiè project in Diakaman focuses on traditional acrobats and healers who practice an art requiring deep self-mastery and strict internal discipline, often accompanied by the n’goussounbala. She has also mentored women and Malian youth in traditional music, ensuring the transmission of Malian heritage to future generations.

Jury citation

"For passionate, lifelong devotion to elevating and transmitting the musical heritage of Mali, particularly among women and girls, through singing and dancing that energises, enchants, and opens the hearts of people across the world."