Garana children, girls, left to right: Mariam "Ne", Ina, Woulematou, Bintou, Jouma, Pendourou, Abbi. Boy, playing tamani: Modi
These seven first cousins all live together in the same household in Garana, a remote village in the province of Segou, some 200 kilometres north-east of Bamako. This is an intensely musical and very disciplined family, deeply immersed in the griot tradition of Segou. Ne, Jouma, Ina and Abbi are the daughters of the singer Oumou Kouyate. Bintou, Woulematou and Modi are the children of the ngoni player Modibo Kouyate, who is the older brother of Bassekou Kouyate . Mariam "Ne" Kouyate has also been a participant in the Mali-Cuba project: see Mali-Cuba.com
Bassekou Kouyate and his brother Modibo in Garana, Photo by Thomas Dorn, 2006
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