AT2 - Mog Meet Up in Timbuktu?
-
Artist:
Tough decision on what to offer for AT today. I've decided on one of the many (was very close to tapping Tinariwen) nice tracks from a Festival in the Desert disc I picked up several years ago. I like this one by the The Songbird of Wassoulou, Wassoulou being a historic region in Mali south of the Niger River. For me it's got a great desert blues feel, but also other elements that sound as if they'd be right at home in an Irish Reel.
I think I have Robert Plant and NPR to thank for learning about the Festival in the Desert, a celebration of Malian music and Tuareg culture. He went out in 2003 and had something to do with the recording of the album I got as well as one of his own albums while there.
It sounds like an absolutely incredible experience. Three days in the desert with nomads and tribesmen from all over enjoying music. I think it would make an excellent Mog Meet up. Depending on how complicated my life gets in the next few months I very much intend to be in Essakane, Mali on the 8th, 9th and 10th days of January 2009. Here is an interesting story from The Guardian with footage from this year's event.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (8)
Wow, if only I could. That sounds like an amazing musical adventure.
I really enjoyed that track. I wish I could join you in January.
Aaaargh... MOG ate my comment... well I said something like... Damn! Seriously?... I would love to go to that festival, and Mali in General... maybe some day.
I posted a Tinariwen song from this same album a while back, plus a cool you tube clip of Sangare at the 03 festival.
http://mog.com/Dzendvokh/blog_post/129670
Thanks for the tune... if you go, you know you have to report back here!
Dz,
checked out your post. Looks like I did a bit of a reprise. Perhpas I should start checking other posts before doing my own. Takes away the spontaneity at times, though. Funny, because I was a whisker away from using that Tinariwen track. I love that one. It always makes me feel as though something significant is about to happy.
Oatie and Spike and Dz,
As Yoda might say, "there is no try, only do" Come on!!!!!
Tinariwen are amazing, I saw them a couple years ago. I read a great article on the Festival in the Desert in The Wire a few years ago, and it's quite a harrowing two day trip -- the second day had to be done on camelback! There's a film called Teshumara: The Guitars of the Toureg Rebellion which played in theaters in Europe last year. It's available on a CD/DVD The Soul Rebel Of African Desert (Emma), but I can't find it anywhere.
Like everybody else here, I'd love love love to attend this some day. Must be an amazing experience.
If only I'd seen your post before I went - we could have had a Mog meet up! :-)
neeshfarb,
did you go this year?? If so, you've gotta share some stories, music and photos if you have them. I just had my first child a few weeks back, so a trip to Africa from the West Coast of the US wasn't in the cards for me this year. Another time perhaps.