The Tuareg festival of Anchawag A Tribal gathering in the Sahara featuring: Tinariwen, Tartit, Ali Farka Toure, Haira Arby And Traditional artists of the Region January 10-13, 2006- Northern Mali www.anchawadj.free.fr
[email protected] The preservation of the cultures of the Kel Tamasheq people of northern Mali has become a matter of grave concern to the Elders, artists, and community leaders. Now, for the first time in over 30 years, 45 nomadic tribes will unite in the biggest desert gathering known as “TAMUKEST” to celebrate their music traditions and raise awareness about their endangered cultural heritage. Using the 1995 Flame of Peace of Timbuktu as its symbol, the Tuareg festival will attract thousands from around the world to experience first-hand the artistic power, historical importance, and beauty of this threatened culture. The festival will feature musical performances, traditional dances, camel racing, desert poetry, traditional sport and games, holistic medicine, artisans’ products, hair braiding, henna tattoos, initiations, and much more. After a severe drought in 70’s which wrought havoc on their subsistence patterns and led to the exile of thousands of Tuaregs to neighboring countries, followed by a period of armed rebellion(1990-1995) and the more recent commitment of the last decade to a lasting peace, the Tuaregs of Northern Mali are struggling to overcome poverty. Additionally, the Tuaregs are in dire need of schools for the education of their children, programs to empower their women and a consistent and safe supply of water. 1. MISSION: The mission of the festival is to preserve the endangered cultures and traditions of the Tuareg people of northern Mali, celebrate “TAMUKEST”, the annual desert gathering of 45 nomadic tribes, and promote sustainable development in the region of Anshawag.