KHAIRA ARBY

Malian singer (1959–2018)

Popularly known as ‘the Nightingale Of timbuktu’, Khaira arby was both a formidable singer and an outspoken campaigner for women’s rights and political freedoms in Mali. she first came to prominence in the early ’90s, going on to gain international recognition for her intoxicating blend of blues, funk and Malian rhythms. arby was a regular fixture in her native country’s Festival au Désert, as well as performing at tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival and the international Jazz Festival in Montreal.