° mali crisis °

As the humanitarian crisis in Mali worsens, Kathryn M Werntz talks to Malian musicians united in their desperation to speak out about their plight and the threat of being silenced by al Qaeda

hen Malian rapper Amkoullel Could the world have known more, done more, if released his song ‘S.O.S.’ in following the March 2012 coup Amkoullel had been Rapper Amkoullel whose song ‘S.O.S’ October 2011, he could not have able to sing out? was censured by the governent of Mali imagined that a few months later Months later, the world began to learn a bit more following the March 2012 coup it would be censured by the through scant media coverage about the non-existent governmentW of Mali, an African country with relatively government, and the public stonings and destruction of liberal press. But immediately following the coup in shrines in the north. To some, the chaos in the north is March 2012, Amkoullel received a letter of criticism no surprise as, since the 1970s, Touareg musicians have owing to his lyrical depiction of the country-wide been singing about the tensions there – raising corruption and the chaos in the north of Mali. He was awareness with their political lyrics, while wowing us told that it was “not the moment” to sing these lyrics: with their desert blues-rock fusion. ‘This is an S.O.S. We are in a state of emergency. The Now, however, even Touareg music is banned in people are outraged, their dreams are dead. Lies rise, the Azawad where al-Qaeda-linked rebel groups have truths are buried. People have no more hope. We would imposed sharia (strict Islamic law) in Timbuktu, Kidal not be surprised, if it all just explodes.’ and Gao, which among other degradations of human The kibosh on Amkoullel’s ‘S.O.S.’ was clearly rights, bans the listening to and playing of music. relevant. Just two weeks later, the situation in the north Were Amkoullel, the Touareg rockers, and other took a turn for the worse. The Touaregs (a nomadic musicians going to sit back and take this? ethnic group), who had staged an insurgence to claim After being so impressed with the activities of the the north as a sovereign nation (named Azawad), were political musical group Y’en a Marre in Senegal in usurped by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. Since then, 2011-2012 [see #83], I waited for the Malian musicians » incredible unrest, terror and famine have hit Mali. to come forth and fight for justice as their Senegalese

32 Songlines November/December 2012 www.songlines.co.uk Songlines 33 ° mali crisis °

algeriA Amkoullel pushes the idea of musical messenger Amkoullel speaks about some of the difficulties, even further: saying that musicians must actually including the frictions between the older and younger denounce what is going on in the north, not just sing generations of musicians – both in terms of musical about it. He instead calls for a “liberation from the style and awareness-raising approach. Being quite al-Qaeda-linked terrorists.” well-educated himself, Amkoullel is adamant that the MAuritania With complete respect to their role as messengers – main role of a musician – and the first step to peace – is Mali and denouncers – I ask, is there more that we can to educate the population. Educate them about what is Kidal expect a musician to do, given their powerful reverence going on in their own country, about non-violent

Timbuktu among people of all social classes in Mali? solutions, and about healthy democracy. But for this to Gao Habib, laughing, says, “Well, money is always good to happen, I insist, don’t the musicians need to speak, or Kobenni give.” And indeed, Salif Keita organised a fundraising sing, in a united voice? This is where it gets tricky. concert for refugee relief, a Malian artist association One may think it easy, non-controversial and Niger Oursi sent supplies to the north, Touareg musicians raised apolitical to come together and sing simply for ‘peace in Niamey money for Touareg refugees with the album Songs Mali’, but peace has many interpretations. The situation Bamako Ségou Burkina faso for Desert Refugees [reviewed in #87], and a few in the north of Mali is a disaster bred by history, Sélingué Senegalese musicians, including Thione Seck, colonialism, religious and cultural differences, a grab for have helped out. natural resources, and regional struggles in North and But why is there not a more concerted effort among West Africa, all set among conspiracy theories of » musicians to address the situation in the north? Western and Chinese military interests. So, when one Habib explains that a The annual Musician’s role is to gathering of Touaregs at the Festival in the raise awareness and Desert in the region of Timbuktu is be a vehicle of reality clearly under threat

Singer-songwriter and UNICEF’s ambassador to Mali, Habib Koité

neighbours did. But weeks passed, the humanitarian wooden bangles on her arms jangling along with her situation in the north worsened, and I wondered, expressive speech. “Where the heck are they?” So, I set off to find out. When I ask Oumou what the role is of a musician in My first stop was Münster, Germany, where Habib a humanitarian crisis, she tells me, “We sing about what Koité was playing for an auditorium of quiet the politicians will not say. We must sing for those toe-tapping Germans. Exuding humility and people who have no voice.” authenticity, Habib explains that a musician’s role is to Oumou, who was on a plane to Europe when Mali raise awareness and be a vehicle of reality. Personally, he started unravelling, returned home immediately and insists that he is not, and does not want to be, a recorded and released a song in April 2012 called ‘Paix politician. Still, after exuberantly explaining the work he au Mali’. What inspired her to get that done so quickly, does as UNICEF’s ambassador to Mali, I ask Habib his all by herself? opinion about the current crisis. For the first time, the “The situation was so incredible, someone had to do gentle giant loses his smile and hangs his head something,” she explains, “and the government did solemnly, saying the situation is so terrible now in the nothing. So I had to get the message out quickly: stop north, he is not yet able to write about it. He will write the war! We must stop the war!” about it when it is over, which he says will be soon. He By June, Oumou had released a video for the song. repeats this several times in French, “Ça va passer. Ça Also around that time, JeConte & the Mali Allstars va passer vite.” Our eyes do not meet, we both know it came together with Khaira Arby, Vieux Farka Touré and will most likely not be over anytime soon. Bassekou Kouyaté to record a song for peace – as did Unfortunately, the situation only worsened when a Black Nega with other international artists – and few weeks later I catch up with Oumou Sangaré, the Malian rappers formed the political singing group, Les ‘Songbird of Mali’. Oumou meets with me just a few Sofas de la République. And Amkoullel? When we hours before stage call with Béla Fleck in another small catch up on Skype, he tells me he continues to listen to German town. She speaks animatedly about Mali, the the people, to write, and to be censured.

34 Songlines November/December 2012 www.songlines.co.uk Songlines 35 ° mali crisis °

“The touareg people

Bombino, a are a people of pride... rising star on Mali’s Music the Touareg it’s not a culture music scene of resistance” Festivals The two biggest music festivals in Mali remain defiant and plan to proceed in 2013.

Festival sur le Niger February 12-17 2013, Ségou, Mali In the attractive riverside town of Ségou, next year’s line-up includes local hero Bassekou Kouyaté, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Vieux Farka Touré, Khaira Arby and many more. On February 14 the ‘caravan des artistes’ from the Festival au Desert rolls into town (see below). As usual we are planning a Songlines Music Travel trip, see p27 for details. festivalsegou.org/new/en.html

Festival au Désert February-March 2013 The site of the festival in Timbuktu has been sacked and equipment looted. More seriously there has been destruction of the city’s historic shrines and mausoleums. The Festival will take place as a peripatetic ‘Caravan of Artists for Peace and National Unity’ with concerts in Kobenni, Mauritania (Feb 8/9), Ségou (Feb 14), Bamako (Feb 16) before arriving at Oursi in Burkina Faso (Feb 20-22) for a three-day festival says peace, peace for whom? “The Touareg are a people of pride and it’s not a culture on a site similar to the dunes of One of the conflicts has been the desire of the of resistance. Our culture is our guide and it has given Essakane. The caravan returns to Touareg people, or Kel Tamashek, to have sovereignty us the strength to survive centuries of the harsh desert Mali for the Festival International over their land in the Sahel (they are not the only ethnic of the Sahel. We wish only to live in peace with our of Sélingué (Mar 1-3). “The brutal group living in this area). For years, they have been own customs and do not wish to cause conflict or to sound of weapons and cries of singing about this not just in their villages, but onstage suffer from conflict. It is important to me that the intolerance are not able to silence in concert halls across the world. (One could question world outside Africa gets to know our people and our the singing of the griots or the the extent to which the cheering crowds understand culture and the very serious struggle for survival that sound of the imzad (violin) and the Tamashek lyrics and political agenda – and we face. Without knowledge in the West there can be tinde (drum)”, they say. therefore to what extent they ignorantly support no support from the West. Connecting as human www.festival-au-desert.org political movements without a second thought.) beings is the first step and the most important one.” To gain some Touareg perspective, I interview But who should the West, or we, support? In Bombino, a rising star on the Touareg music scene. The September, Mali agreed to a regional military first thing I ask is whether he prefers I call him Touareg deployment to try and dislodge the Islamists in the or Kel Tamashek (often ‘Kel Tamashek’ people are north organised by the West African regional body offended by the name ‘Touareg’, a name slapped onto Ecowas, but it still awaits UN approval. them by outsiders). Laughing, Bombino says, “We are If we are going to look to the musicians for in the 21st century. We must not worry about matters information and moral guidance, we need their lyrics like this. Touareg, Kel Tamashek, it does not matter. We and political agendas deciphered first. Amkoullel’s must be flexible in order to organise our people and in ‘S.O.S.’ is now on YouTube with subtitles in French and order to find peace with everyone.” Bamana, but generally speaking, there needs to be Bombino, born during his parents’ exodus from much more extensive reach, and translations. Some Niger, lived in exile for many years due to the artists I interviewed say they are receptive to Western » persecution of Touaregs, and is now back in Niger. musicians covering their songs, or doing collaborations

www.songlines.co.uk Songlines 37 the festival au desert is famous for blurring genres and softening ethnic serrations through an incredible force de musique

Oumou Sangaré, the Songbird from Wassoulou in the south of Mali

with them, in order to get the lyrics translated, and the What is unknown is how and if the musicians will take word out there. (Bono, Amkoullel specifically invited you advantage of this journey to discuss their differences and to duet with him, just on the off chance that you happen agree on a few, basic human rights to defend. Do they to be reading this.) recognise the power they would have in composing just The solution of who, and how, to support is far from one refrain of a joint message? clear. Perhaps because the answer is not singular: as with Amkoullel offers a type of solution already by taking a Malian music, the path to peace is bound to be complex humanitarian cross-section of the situation, saying and multi-layered, polyphonic if you will. something needs to be done now, and done for all people, One step could be to encourage discussion among the including the usurped Touaregs. He, along with Bombino, musicians, these people who are in fact politicians (sorry, both give the impression that with the presence of al-Qaeda Habib), as musicians are elected by the populace through terrorists, all Malians (including Touaregs) are now in this applause, record sales, piracy rates, concert tickets and together against a common enemy. In other words, no matter overtures of reverence. Musicians, as Oumou and which political stance the musicians, or we, decide to Bombino attest, are more respected, more trusted, and support, the fact of the matter is that there are hundreds of more listened to than official politicians. But how to get thousands of people living in dire conditions and in fear of them all together, all on the same page, and willing to sing their lives because of the situation in the north of Mali. about solutions, not just realities? And even if there are blurred and questionable alliances The good news: many of these musicians will soon be up in the north, could the situation be at all alleviated if physically united at the upcoming Festival au Désert every major musician got behind the common goal of 2013. The festival, founded in the Timbuktu area in 2001, ‘liberating’ this area from the terrorists and getting aide to is a tribute to Touareg culture and music. It is already all of the refugees and displaced people? famous for blurring genres and softening ethnic Before endeavouring to dream about this idealistic, joint serrations through an incredible force de musique. As effort, what do Malian musicians need right now to festival director Manny Ansar and festival president address the humanitarian crisis? Dario Berardi explain to me via Skype, “When the Oumou says they need help – major help from the big Touaregs are up there onstage playing, Oumou Sangaré is international artists. Likewise, Amkoullel – articulate and in the crowd dancing. And when Oumou is up there level-headed during most of our interview – left me with this singing, the Touaregs are rocking out.” emphatic, raw appeal: “We need help here! Tomorrow can Clearly unable to take place in the Timbuktu region, always be more catastrophic. We need solidarity, now!” And the festival will travel across several Sub-Saharan he was not just talking about the big stars: he asked me to ask countries – and for the first time will take on a highly you readers each to do your part for Mali. political role by addressing the crisis and carrying the So someone get a hold of Bono. And in the meanwhile, bold message to reunite Mali. The festival will be a let’s do something. nomadic journey that kicks-off as a caravan des artistes and culminates at Sélingué in the south [see Festival box]. ONLINE A selection of videos from the artists can be seen on The festival gives dispersed musicians a chance to jam, www.songlines.co.uk/youtube and hopefully join forces; musicians, that is, from all over podcast Hear Kathryn Werntz’s report and music from North and West Africa, Touareg and non-Touareg. Mali on this issue’s podcast

38 Songlines November/December 2012