The Festival Sur le Niger is a feast of Malian culture. Set right on the River Niger’s edge, it offers a fabulous range of spectacles from Mali’s diverse population, made of many different tribes, each with its own special identity. Performers too are invited from the neighbouring countries and there is usually one or two guest artists from overseas. At the Festival its possible to see, within a fifteen minutes walk, Dogon stilt dancers, surreal and elegant; giant Bamanan dancing puppets; chill in the serene and cool art gallery; visit the busy artisan market, and see Tuareg dancers, dancing their traditional elegantly tranquil version of hip hop.
In the evenings, the giant floating stage, comes alive and its possible to hear guest artists from around the world, and see a selection of Mali’s greatest musical legends, of which there are many. Reading the evening programme is like seeing a who’s who of world music. With concerts by Habib Koité, Salif Keíta, Nahawa Doumbi, Néba Solo, Koko Dembélé, Abdoulay Diabaté, not to mention Baba Maal, the Senegalese singer.
If that’s not enough music and culture, its even possible, to dance at the Festival night club till four in the morning. Maybe next time.
The Festival Buzz
Like all festivals there is an excited buzz, first in the weeks leading up to it, then more tangibly as the traders and towns people begin to arrive in droves to see what’s happening, and who can buy their goods. The gated site itself has a relaxed approach to visitors in the morning, but as the day goes on, anyone not in possession of an arm band is absolutely not permitted. Having said that, I managed to get Oumou in several times, by walking hand in hand with her through the check point.
In the afternoons, the buzz is reawakened especially when a celebrity does a sound check on the main stage, and there’s a first glimpse of the musical feast to come.
Water borne drama at the Festival opening
The first evening celebrated the past fifty years of Malian music, with different artists performing, famous in each era, interspersed with speeches by a variety of big wigs, the Festival Director, Daffé and the Town Mayor, Oussou Simaga. Also speeches came from the Mayors of the guest towns, Kayes and Goundam, which represent different cultural regions, each had brought dancing troupes to add to the variety, to make this a truly cross cultural event, there were also a musician from the Netherlands, and an English guest artist; me!
This is the sixth edition of the festival, and it coincides with celebrations of Mali’s fifty years of independence. The past 50 years of malian music was represented by some of the best musicians assembled together to perform in the National Instrumental Ensemble of Mali, with Neba Solo leading them. Solo performances from Amy Koita, Tata Bambo, Ba Tounkara and Néba Solo. If that’s wasn’t enough, the band Super Biton played too.
While they played and the politicians made speeches, a motor boat plied up and down the river, creating huge waves. I instantly disliked this and felt it out of context with the usual tranquil river. Im used to the sight of the slow and gentle progress of the Pirogues; shallow draft wooden boats pushed along by a person wielding a long pole, very similar to Venice’s Gondoliers. A couple of Pirogeurs quite close to the stage, caught a particularly strong set of waves, and both were pitched about, and almost capsized, to the screams and dismay of the audience. Modibo Keitá, the Director of Protocol, a friend of mine, ran to the riverside with police and tried to flag them down to stop. For me the whole episode reminded me too much of the insensitive, showy behaviour of ski boarders and motor boaters at the coast in Europe, and I didn’t like it at all.
Daouda
This is a remarkable young man; a musical prodigy. He plays brilliantly, the drums; Djembe and tam tam, the Kora, (like a harp) and accordion. He tells me he’s thirteen, but everyone here knows he’s 9. (How many of us haven’t lied about our age at sometime?) If he wasn’t blessed with gifts enough, Daouda has the most remarkable winning smile. He plays in the restaurants and bars of Segou most evening, earning money for his family. His evening are long, with a few short breaks, if he is lucky. Last night he played until after I left, with the Dolo’s at 1 am. Oumar the owner of the Bar Alphabet, our venue , was very keen to introduce Segou’s Prodigy, “Our Duaoda” and talked excitedly about his remarkable talent.
I discussed his talent with Dolo. I asked if there was a Music Conservatoire in Bamako, yes he said, Dauoda has to go to school here in Segou till he is 18. At present he is in year 3, having started school in 2007. Clearly he has a very long time to wait, till he get anything but the excellent training of his master, and mentor. An early rise to fame, would be a fabulous way of supporting his family, but fame at an early age can bring problems too. I wonder whether there is anything I can do to help him achieve his potential. I have offered to teach him some better English, while here, and I feel that I should mention him to one of the teachers of the Birmingham Conservatoire, a fellow West African, Jahman Sillah, who played at my Walsall show recently.
Watch out for Daouda in the future, I predict he will be a mega star. He deserves to be.
Meeting Habib Koité
After spending time at the Festivals Koré Gallery, listening to local bands, watching marionettes and chatting to visitors from all over the world, Damy, Rafiy and I decided to go and visit Habib Koité. Simple as that. Damy had heard I am a big fan of Habib‘s, and both being ex colleagues of the college of Beaux Arts, in Bamako, he had access to him. We waited outside his changing room after his sound check, and when he was ready we greeted him. Standing for photos to be taken, laughing and joking about Damy’s insistence on looking at Habib in the photos, and not the camera. I invited Habib to come and see the exhibition, and so, after slow progress across the festival site, hand in hand, we arrived. We’d chatted (between his being greeted by many admirers), about when he will next come to Britain. (there are no plans) We took him to see Damys work first, then mine. He particularly liked the sculpture I’d made from a pair of beautifully sinuously curved cows horns, painted white, arranged in flowing a circle, situated above a pool of beautifully marbleized Kaolin blue id painted. I explains it symbolises the cycle of life, and its dependence on water.
Damy showed him Dolo’s work, then Rafiy had him to himself, giving him a copy of Artistik Africa, in which he features. After more photos, Habib signed the exhibition visitor book and we escorted him back to the meleé to be mobbed again by fans.
Musical explosions and meeting my hero
With so many excellent musicians here, its possible to come across sudden, spontaneous jamming sessions in the bars and cafés. Yesterday the drummers from Salif Keita’s band delighted me and my new Austrian dancer friends by started a recital on the talking drum, whilst we were chatting over a cool glass of water. This was only half an hour after I came across Jhony Chancel, an Albino, who is working with Salif Keita. He is a protégé from the Salif Keita Foundation. Id met Jhony in May 2009 at the Bamako Jazz festival. Within seconds of bumping into him this time, I was whisked onto the floating stage and into the changing room of probably my all time music hero, Salif Keita.
I mentioned earlier I discovered Salif’s Albino Foundation when I met the Graphiste who was designing the festival brochure. I asked him to see if he could arrange a meeting when Salif came to play, and he said he would try. Id heard nothing from him, and knew today was the day Salif would play. I decided to call him to prompt him just incase he had forgotten. After discovering I had no phone credit left to call with, I left the Festival site, I walked up the dusty, busy little road toward the cabin where i usually bought my credit. Towards me walked Jhony, all smiles and recognition. Within a few seconds he was saying ” Wren, I’m performing with Salif Keita this evening, do you want to come and meet him right now?”
Here Salif was, sitting quietly in the airy grass mat, walled space, before sound checking. We said our greetings in French, then asking if he spoke English, he beckoned me to sit with him, and chat. I mentioned our mutual friend, his ex manager Julie, and that I was keen to talk to him because of the idea I have for an arts project which could benefit his foundation. He invited me to his home in Bamako to discuss in more detail what I propose. Wow. I cant begin to tell you how good I felt after that, I was as high as a kite!
No sooner has Jhony and I said our goodbyes, we were accompanied by the drummers and Austrian music and dance students to the café, had the fabulous spontaneous drumming gift and then, Souleyman ‘Solo’ the main group drummer and Jhony to see my exhibition. I took them across to see it. This caused a huge stir in the Gallery, with young and old guys queuing to get photos of us, positioned by my work. I showed them the blue foetus world piece, that I think would make a great album cover and they agreed. Solo and Jhony took my details, and they both told me to definitely get in touch back in Bamako. So who knows what will happen.
Finding peace in the midst of a meleé
The Festival site gets hot and busy, and its great to know I have found a tranquil space, a stones throw from the auditorium, from the restaurants and gallery, to sit and rest. Here under the shade of mango trees, there is always tea brewing, and Tidiané the manger of the neonate (cleaning) usually presides. He never sits down for more than a minute each time, as he’s constantly busy, rushing off to sort some problem, or on the phone. There’s generally a tea pot brewing and one of his welcoming workers in attendance.
Meetings in the Middle of Somewhere 