Thirteen-year-old Ami Diabate is a griot, which is a hereditary musician.

She started singing at the age of five, trained by her grandmother - the revered Malian griot Bako Dagnon.

She has to learn a huge repertoire as griots are like historians - in Mali their musical repertoire is like an archive of the Manding Empire.

This is a clip of her singing earlier this year:

Griots have been the lifeblood of Malian society.

Before newspapers and mobile phones, they were the journalists of the time, disseminating news and alerting their countrymen to events.

Griots still play a vital role, including in mediation and peace-making.

Famous Malian kora player Toumani Diabate explains:

If West Africa was a person, the griot would be the blood of that person.

You are born a griot, you cannot become a griot."

When I met Ami at her home in Mali’s capital, Bamako, she said such responsibilities were an honour.

Being a griot was part of everyday life, even at school, she said.

I play my role of griot there, I say to them, ‘Stop fighting'. If they don’t stop fighting, I will start singing so they will listen to me."

At such a young age she even has a view on Mali’s recent civil war and has written a mediating song about the conflict.