Ami Koita is a female griot singer from Mali singing in Mandinka. The spelling of her name is unclear, and she's called Ami Koïta, Amy Koita and Amy Koïta, too.The spelling of the name results from the colonial heritage, which changes the spelling from French to English, etc. Generally, however, "Ami" is short for "Aminata," which may explain the spelling "Ami." Similarly, the two dots on top of the "i" is French in spelling, as traditionally, "oi" yields the sound ['fwa] as in "fois" (times).