She is an ambassador of Mauritania
While the music traditions of neighbouring Mali and Senegal have captured the hearts of many a music lover, it is now time to get to know Mauritania's as well. Noura Mint Seymali is the ideal ambassador because she grew up in the Moorish griot tradition; her father is the legendary musician Seymali Ould Ahmed Vall and her stepmother Dimi Mint Abba is also a legend in her own right.
She goes nowhere without her ardine
Ardine? Does the name of the instrument ring a bell? This African harp is reserved for women and best known in Mauritania. Traditionally, the sound box consists of a hollow calabash and the long neck spans 10 to 16 strings. It is the little sister of the kora (21 strings).
She was awarded the 2025 WOMEX Artist Award
In August 2025, Noura Mint Seymali received the WOMEX Artist Award, a prestigious award for artists who radiate positive change with their music. So at the annual WOMEX conference, she made it a celebration for all to enjoy.
Her new album has just been released
Nine long years we had to wait for Noura Mint Seymali's new album but in November 2025, we were finally rewarded with Yenbett (Glitterbeat Records). Glowing reviews piled up since then:: ‘Noura Mint Seymali beautifully marries hundreds of years of tradition with a defiantly modern sense of experimentation, and her newly unveiled record, Yenbett, is a timeless triumph.’ (Far Out Magazine). Her song Guéreh is the perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with her. Fans of Fela Kuti and Altin Gün will have to make room on their record shelves.
A perfect blend
For years, Seymali's husband El Jeich Chighaly has been by her side. He plays desert blues on electric guitar in her band and together they form the duo Noura & Jeich, in which he plays the tidinit. This lute-like instrument, like the ardine, is typically Mauritanian. Chighaly is known for fusing the traditional way of playing this on electric guitar into a perfect blend.
