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Pottery
Shoemakiiig
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
Kadidia S'ieiila, Mopti
Tahirou Soumbounou, Bamako
Toumani Diakite, Bamako
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Kadidia learned pottery' from her
grandmother and mother. She makes
hand-built pottery such as large pots for
decoration, tea cups, ornaments, as well
as non-traditional subjects like telephones,
cell phones, and soccer balls.
Straw Jewelry
Almadane Traore, Timbuktu
Almadane Traore makes straw jewelry
(bracelets, necklaces) that imitates
traditional gold designs for customers
who cannot afford real gold. She also
makes dolls and fans.
Fatoumata Gariko, Hcmhori, Mopti region
Fatoumata Gariko makes handbags,
placemats, and hats, from straw.
Depending on the customer's needs,
she dyes the straw to make muln-hued
designs. She is
Women's Association of Hombori,
which focuses on children's education,
a member of the
health and reproductive awareness, and
Tahirou Soumbounou is
originally
from Djithoube in the Sikasso region
where he learned the secrets of leather
and skins from his family. After additional
training in France, now as a master
craftsman he makes men's and women's
shoes in both leather and cloth.
Wood Sculpture
Mody Cissoko, Bamako
A master sculptor, he was selected by
his fellow artists to represent their craft
in Washington. He is known for his
masks carved in ebony and teak and his
chess and checker sets. He trains other
sculptors from West Africa.
ARTS OF ADORNMENT
Hairdressing
Kadidia Ouologuem, Bamako
Kadidia Ouologuem makes incense,
underskirts, and braids hair.
Toumani Diakite is a traditional healer.
Having learned the secrets of plants
from his father, he has become
President of the Association of
Traditional Therapy.
FOODWAYS TRADITIONS
Aiiu Sow
Ktiadiatou Sow Traore
Halimatou Toure
Kadia Souko
Fatoumata Sissoko Cisse
Koumba Kaiite
Mariam Diarra
Aissa Toure Alhamafi
Maimouna Coutibaty Camara
Grains such as rice, rmllet, fonio, and
wheat and tubers such as cassava and
sweet potatoes form the starch base,
accompanied by a seasoned sauce, of
many Malian meals. The Niger and Bani
rivers provide an abundance of fish
which are used fresh, smoked, dried, and
salted in Malian dishes. Mali raises
cattle, sheep, and goats for local
the transmission of traditional
knowledge to the younger generation.
Mat- VVeai'tng
Halimatou Ahouba, Gao
Halimatou Abouba weaves the straw
mats she uses to assemble a Sonrai
house.
Leather Work
Tago Walet Meme, Timbuktu
Tago Walet Meme is a Tuareg
leatherworker who learned this
tradition from her family. She creates
cushions, leather mats, key chains, and
bags, painted with the distinctive
designs ofTimbuktu.
Modern Leather Work
Soumata Sidi, Gao
Soumata Sidi is a hairdresser who also
makes beads for hair and for necklaces.
The different hairstyles she creates
reflect the social status of her chents:
young women, newlyweds, new mother
of a boy or girl, mother of twins, or
grandmother.
Henna Artistry
Aminata Doumbia, Bamako
Armnata Doumbia is a henna artist.
The designs, usually applied to women's
hands and feet at the time of marriages
and baptisms, have now become
fashionable anytime, even for young
urban women.
Shea Butter Extraction
consumption and regional export.
Nomadic people's diets are rich in dairy
products, particularly butter and milk.
ARCHITECTURE TRADITIONS
Baba Cisse, architect
Boubacar Mady Diallo, architect
Alassaiie Hasseye, master mason
Boubacar Kouroumanse, master masoti
Manbamane dit Berre Younou, master mason
Almoudou Baigna. master mason
Alhousseini Ag Tajoudine, Tuareg lent
Seko Tientao, mason
Mandedeou Tantao, mason
Mamoudou Kontao, mason
Oumar Yonou, mason
Agaly Ousmane, mason
Baba Toure, mason
Ahamadou Hasseye, mason
Adoulahi Albaidja, mason
Fadiiila Detiibele, Biuimko
Fadiala Dembele, originally from Kita,
works at the Craft Center in Bamako.
Chosen by feUow leather makers to
represent them at the Festival, he makes
handbags, wallets, and briefcases, decorated
with Malian textiles such as bogolau.
Kouroutoumo Ouattara, Sikasso
Kouroutoumo Ouattara lives in the
Kenedougou area where the karite
During the
(shea) trees are plentifiil.
dry season she processes the locally
gathered shea tree nuts into the butter
used for cooking or cosmetic products.
Malian architectural styles presented at
the Festival include mud brick/adobe
architecture used in city gates, homes,
and mosques; stone architecture used in
Dogon loguna or meeting houses; and
nomadic structures used by Turaeg,
Sonrai, Somono, and Fulani peoples.