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In addition to many of the African musicians I was already familiar with, the CD had cuts from Eric Bibb, Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, Muddy Waters and Jessie Mae Hemphill. As a result of that CD, Eric Bibb and Habib Koité, the last of my #FestivalAuDesert artists became good friends and did a collaborative CD called BROTHERS IN BAMAKO. Both musicians play guitar and banjo. 2/3

We can’t go to the festival right now, but if you want an African adventure FESPACO is coming up in at the end of February. There’s still time to plan for it. FESPACO is the biennial International African Film Festival held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on the odd years. If you like African film, it’s the place to be! I’m still not back to traveling internationally but I’ll share some FESPACO stories at the end of February. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora #FESPACO 10/10

We started our trek back to Bamako. Car -> ferry->car -> bus. Our car broke down on the way to the bus, but hey...it’s Africa. We eventually got to Bamako. Had a nice long shower to get rid of the sand which was EVERYWHERE and had a good night’s sleep in a real bed! The festival considered itself to be in exile. http://www.festival-au-desert.org/index.cfm?m=0
#FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 9/10

Well…they got kidnapped and it took their governments 6 months to get them released. The takeaway from that is when Black people tell you the situation is dangerous you should listen. Apply that as you wish today. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 8/10

Can’t leave Africa without a cautionary tale. The military set the boundaries within which we could travel safely, and we were warned not to exceeded them. Of course, 3 European males decided they didn’t need that advice. 2 Germans and a French guy left with one of the Tuareg bands to “experience” the deep desert. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 7/10

Oh, I found a clip of Khaira Arby. Sound was poor so here’s a screenshot. On the last night everyone stays up dancing and partying till late. However, the military police are firm that we must be cleared out by 5:00am. We woke around 5:10 and all the Tuaregs were gone as if they had never been there. We broke down our tents and made sure not to leave any rubbish as we headed out of the desert. We were tired but feeling so at peace. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 6/10

She accompanies Khaira Arby back to Timbuktu to do the free concert. Presently Disco is in Bamako with her husband. Tartit performs from a standing position or seated. I picked this clip because it is performed seated. I think Tartit has some of the best hand dancers among the groups. As you listen to the music think about the short clip of the men hand dancing and envision the group dancing while singing. Its Disco tinde that is driving the beat. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 5/10

Disco is trying to wrestle with the fact that her own husband may have been instrumental in creating the fighting that forced her people to flee yet again. Her husband quits MNLA, but Disco doesn’t find that very satisfying. Towards the end she says they have to stop just demanding independence without a plan. And she declares she cannot keep going into exile. She wants a real solution not just fighting. The title of the film comes from her words. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 4/10

The complicating part is that her husband was a member of a party called MNLA, which re-initiated the fighting in 2011. It was MNLA that invited the jihadist to come help them gain independence from Mali. Of course, when the jihadists came they had no intention of helping. They kicked MNLA out of their own home are and installed their reign of terror. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 3/10

One of the main singers of Tartit and the person who writes most of their songs is Fadimata Walett Oumar. She is also called “Disco” by her friends. She plays the tinde which is a traditional Tuareq drum played by women. Disco is featured in the film “They’ll Have To Kill Us First.” She ended up back in a refugee camp in Burkino Faso until she sold her jewelry and bought a house there. #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora 2/10

#FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora There were 35 acts at the Festival. I can’t name all of them but there are two musicians whom I will just talk about on regular #BlacKFriday: Habib Koite and Bassekou Kouyate. I want to end the remembrance by speaking about a group called Tartit which was formed by a group of Tuareg who met in a refugee camp in Burkino Faso in the 90’s. The story of this group really highlights the complexities of the conflict in the area. This photo is not mine. 1/10

#FestivalAuDesert #BlackFriday #diaspora #BlackMastodon I picked this clip from their official website because it's good music and it shows the generational transition within the band. There is a bonus piece where they are drinking ataya and just doing normal people stuff like playing dominos! The song is entitled Sastanaqqam. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/vACZA9dGvV4

Tinariwen started singing together as an unnamed band when the met as refugees in 1979. They have been together since then and have performed all over the world. During the 2012 jihadist attack they had to flee. They did eventually come back but had to leave again in 2018. Now they are living south of the Moroccan border. The leader of the group was kidnapped by the jihadists but later released. 2/3
#FestivalAuDesert #BlackFriday #diaspora #BlackMastodon

#BlackFriday #FestivalAuDesert #BlackMastodon #diaspora
Friday music contribution is coming from the festival and it was party time! Although it seems weird to talk about party when the lyrics are about such serious stuff. But there's no doubt the crowd favorite was Tinariwen, probably the most famous Tuareg band. Everyone jumped up for them, even the folks all the way in the back watching from atop their camels. 1/3

#BlackJoy #BlackFriday #FestivalAuDesert There was another group of Fulani four members of the troupe who played calabashes and did acrobatics at the same time. The pic is not mine but is from the same event. You can see the musicians is bent all the way back with his head almost touching the floor. Each of them had a different acrobatic talent. I was holding my breath through most of the act. 3/3
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The first two pics are mine. The group is singing and dancing. The singer in white, was phenomenal and beautiful. On the floor is a musician in blue. He was so hyped for the show I didn't think he or his calabash would survive to the end. But the crowd LOVED him and gave as much energy back as he gave them. So wonderful. 2/3
#BlackJoy #BlackFriday #FestivalAuDesert #diaspora #BlackMastodon

#BlackJoy #BlackFriday #FestivalAuDesert I wanted to post these three pics from the festival. I'll post about the"party" music separately. I've been sharing whatTuaregs were doing, but there are also Fulani/Peul nomadic people. They speak Peul but I'm not sure whether they should be called Peul people or Fulanis. I am most often mistaken for Fulani when I travel in West Africa and people are always speaking to me in Peul, which I neither speak nor understand. 1/3
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#FestivalAuDesert I was surprised to learn that Vieux's father did not want him to be a musician. He trained in secret until Toumani Diabate helped convince his father to accept that the son was a musician.
Oddly the electric guitar plays a significant role in the music of the Sahel, where electricity is not always guaranteed. For your listening pleasure some Viuex Farka Toure 2/2
https://youtu.be/ID9Dy3wYrdo

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#FestivalAuDesert Another non-Tuareq musician that appeared at the festival was Vieux Farka Toure, a guitar player who is the son of Ali Farka Toure, himself a world famous guitar player. I shared some music from Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate a few weeks ago. A photo of Vieux Farka Toure on the stage at Essekane. You can see I was struggling to get a clear shot. 1/2

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#FestivalAuDesert Albinos are often target in parts of Africa because of superstition. They can be thrown out by their families or even killed. Salif became a spokesperson for people in Africa who were born as albino. I'll post the video he made to support the Albino foundation. 3/4
#BlackMastodon #BlackFediverse #diaspora

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCG8ZQ0UxHI