Khaira Arby, born in 1959 in Tombouctou, Mali, was a Malian singer known for her powerful voice. She began singing at a young age and joined a local troupe by eleven. In the early 1970s, she moved to Gao to join its artistic troupe. Arby launched a solo career in 1992, becoming the first woman in Mali to do so. Her albums include Timbuktu Tarab (2013), and Gossip (2015). Arby's music addressed themes of peace and women's rights, gaining international recognition in the 2010s with performances at festivals like Pop Montréal and FIJM. She passed away in 2018 in Bamako. Posthumously, Arby received a Coup de Cœur Musiques du Monde 2019 from the Académie Charles Cros.
