Music in Mali

Music is one of the only avenues in which Mali has gained international attention (it is hard to be noticed as a peaceful african country). Therefore, I have made it one of my main goals to seek out as much music as possible. It does take searching to find it. At my house, the only music I normally hear is American and French pop on Trace, a french music video channel. Black Eyed Peas and Akon are favorites that i have heard way more hear than i ever had in the US. Going out with my sister isn't even a way of finding live music...most of my Malian peers only like going to boîtes, where they also only listen to american club music. That is one of the saddest aspects of culture I have observed...an idealization of America perpetuated through american music and tv that makes the young people disregard what Mali has to offer.

Anyways, I have found real Malian music, and participated in it, much to my delight. A few of my friends and I have researched the best venues for live music and sample them whenever we can get out of going to the boîtes. Occasionally there is dancing, but usually it is an older, more sophisticated crowd, in their late twenties and thirties, I'd guess. Traditional Malian music characterized by a djeli (griot) singing praises of people or histories or other things that I have no chance of understanding. The instruments are really what makes the music. There is usually a distorted, psychedelic sounding guitar player, who can play with an almost classical or jazz technique (not just chords). Then there are a variety of drums, many that are specific to Mali. The balafon is usually present too...it is similar to a xylophone, but has gourds resonationg beneath the keys that gives it a softer tone. And last, but definitely not least, there is the kora. It is a large gourd at the bottom, with a long neck extending from it with about 20 strings tuned in a C major scale. It almost sounds like a harp, and is very difficult to master. After a wild goose chase around Bamako, I had the good fortune of finding a kora teacher with one of my friends. We had an hour long lesson to learn the basics, and I actually was getting the feel of it in my hands by the end of the lesson...I wish I could've taken one home to practice, but there is no way I could buy one. They are too expensive, plus too large to easily bring home on a plane.

I got to play the kora again today, when my teacher and his group came to my school this morning for a performance in honor of our last day of school before finals. They put on a great performance, with a djeli singing to each of the students in turn and dancing at the end. I played a little repetitive bit that I learned at my lesson and the rest of the band fit in around me and the djeli sang. It was surreal...it felt so good to be playing an instrument again, and even better to be a part of the great music they were making. My kora teacher took over after a little bit, so I could watch his mad skills; I'm guessing he is one of the best since he teaches, performs, and makes koras for a living. Even though I won't be able to bring a kora home with me, I think I'll take another lesson, just for fun.

If you are interested in hearing some Malian music, some of the most famous performers are Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabeté, Amadou & Mariam, Oumou Sangaré, and Habib Koite. I think you can find them on itunes or youtube...they are all internationally known.