Mieruba Art Center / Ségou, Mali

The Lost Maestras

Eight Malian women artists. Eight albums. Sixty-three tracks. A living archive devoted to women’s musical heritage.

8 ARTISTS

8 ALBUMS

63 TRACKS

The Project

The Lost Maestras is a preservation, transmission and promotion project led by Mieruba Art Center in Ségou. Between 2022 and 2024, eight major Malian women artists recorded albums at the center, leaving works deeply rooted in the musical traditions of their regions and communities.

Through Kaniba Ouele Kouyaté, Kokanko Sata, Fissa Maiga, Mah Kouyaté, Mouneissa Tandina, Mamou Thiero, Moui Traoré and Koly Koné, the project brings Manding, Wassoulou, Songhai, Bozo/Somono, Bambara and Soninke heritages into dialogue through a shared commitment to memory and transmission.

A Living Archive

Conceived as a living archive as much as an artistic initiative, The Lost Maestras documents repertoires that are sometimes little known or rarely recorded, while highlighting the creative power of women musicians who have shaped Mali’s cultural history. Some have influenced several generations; for others, these recordings constitute some of their final musical testimonies. Kokanko Sata, for example, died in 2023 after recording her album at Mieruba Art Center.

Between memory, contemporary creation and transmission, The Lost Maestras celebrates rare voices and singular artistic journeys while questioning the place of women within West African cultural narratives.

The Artists

Eight voices, eight musical worlds

The collection crosses regions, languages and repertoires, creating a broad portrait of women’s musical memory in Mali.

Kaniba Ouele Kouyaté

Manding / Nyagassola

7 tracks

A respected singer from the Kouyaté lineage of Nyagassola, linked to the guardianship of the sacred Manden balafon. Her work connects traditional Manding expression with contemporary forms.

Kokanko Sata

Wassoulou

7 tracks

Aïssata Doumbia, known as Kokanko Sata, was a pioneering female performer of the kamélé ngoni. She recorded her final album at Mieruba in 2022 and died in 2023.

Fissa Maiga

Songhai / Gao

7 tracks

Nafissata Ahamadou Maiga, known as Fissa, is a major voice of traditional Songhai music and a member of the Ensemble Instrumental du Mali.

Mah Kouyaté

Bajuru / Ségou

7 tracks

A griot singer from Ségou and specialist of Bajuru, Mah Kouyaté carries a repertoire connected to the musical memory of the Niger River.

Mouneissa Tandina

Ségou

8 tracks

Born into a prominent musical family, Mouneissa Tandina developed a distinctive career as a drummer and has practised the instrument for more than thirty years.

Mamou Thiero

Bozo / Somono

11 tracks

A singer shaped by the river cultures of the Bozo and Somono and by Khassonké influence, Mamou Thiero has performed in Mali and internationally.

Moui Traoré

Bambara / Beledougou

8 tracks

An iconic interpreter of Bambara songs from Mourdiâ, Moui Traoré has transmitted stories, customs and collective memory through her voice for more than fifty years.

Koly Koné

Soninke / Kayes

8 tracks

A singer from Tourougounbé near Nioro du Sahel, Koly Koné began her professional career in the 1960s and later joined the Ensemble Instrumental du Mali.

Public Presentation

Discussion & project presentation

The Lost Maestras has also been presented in a public discussion format, extending the project beyond recording into cultural dialogue and mediation.

Institut Français du Mali

A dedicated presentation of The Lost Maestras × Mieruba Center took place at the Institut français du Mali on 20 June 2026, in a discussion and project-presentation format.

The presentation framed the project as a work of preservation, transmission and promotion of Mali’s female musical heritage, emphasizing its role as a living archive and its documentation of repertoires that may be little known or rarely recorded.

This public dimension is an important part of the project: recordings are not treated as isolated objects, but as material for dialogue, documentation, publication and cultural transmission.

Editorial Angles

Women and musical heritage · Oral transmission · Regional musical identities · Living archives · Late-career and final recordings · Cultural memory · Preservation through professional recording.

Archive / Record / Transmit

Mieruba Art Center

The project is rooted in Ségou and in a long-term commitment to recording, documenting and transmitting Mali’s musical heritage.

Recording Context

The Lost Maestras sessions were recorded between August 2022 and January 2024 with traditional and contemporary instrumental line-ups including balafon, ngoni, kamélé ngoni, bolon, guitar, percussion, calabash, soku and voices.

Press & Cultural Value

The collection provides a rich basis for press coverage, radio programming, documentary work, cultural research, exhibitions and conversations around women’s place in the preservation and renewal of West African musical heritage.

Contact

Mieruba Art Center Ségou, Mali
www.mieruba.com
info@mieruba.com

The Lost Maestras