Aïcha Mint Chighaly

Born in 1962 in Kaedi, Aïcha Mint Chighaly is the daughter of Yuba al-Mokhtar ould Chighaly, who was one of the most well-known griots of the last century. The Chighaly family originates from the border area with Senegal, but in 1982 went to live in Nuakchott. Aïcha owes a great deal of the solid reputation that she enjoys in her own country to her abilities as a singer and player of the ardin harp, but also to the family heritage of music and poetry. She is always accompanied by her band made up of her brothers and her sister-in-law, who all studied with her father. She has participated in many local festivals and launched her international career in 1996 with her first CD, Griote de Mauritanie, in the Inedit collection of the Maison des Cultures du Monde in Paris. She has toured many countries in Europe, Africa, the Gulf and in Japan. In Morocco she has appeared at festivals in Assilah, Agadir and Rabat. She is the sister of Jeiche Ould Chighaly and Mohamed Ould Chighaly and sister-in-law of Yaya Mint Sidi.