Siramori Diabaté

Siramori Diabaté ( – 1989) was a Malian griotte, a storyteller. Her first name is sometimes given as Sira Mori and Siramory, while her last name is sometimes spelled Jabaté.

Biography Diabaté was born in the village of Kela, in the Koulikoro Region of Mali. The town is famous for the griots born there, and Diabaté was from a family notable for its talents. Her grandfather, Kelabalaba, was said to be the first member of his extended family to be the official reciter of the Sundiata Epic, while her father, Bintu'amma, was well known as a musician, especially for his prowess on the ngoni. Diabaté herself was part of a younger generation, which learned from its roots but which incorporated facets of modern urban life into its performances. She began to develop a regional reputation by the early 1940s, particularly for her song "Sara", several of their children have also become musicians,

Musicologist Jan Jansen, who worked with Diabaté on research, claimed that he had taken his jamu, or ascribed patronymic, Sidiki Kouyaté, from the name of her husband, due to the closeness of their association.