Sun March 04 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Essakane/Tombouctou/Timbuktu Festival au désert, continued 2.

Flag Mali

Monday, January 16 2006

1 year, 5 month, 25 days

Essakane, Mali

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 44,051km

Trekking 305km

Ferry 694km

Train 150km

Other cars 5.336km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > mali > 20060116-essakane-more-more

Khaïra Arby

or some say Haïra Arby. She is from the desert, north of Timbuktu/Tomouctou. The "Nightingale of the North", she was named. Born into a family of mixed ethnics she sings Songhai, Arabic, Tamashek, and probably some others. All on Afropop.

She is a Diva, a praise singer, poet, story teller. To me she is what Malian female artists are all about. Voice of incredible range and pitch, and songs that seem to last forever, as if she has a lot to say. Khaïra is a grande dame, she is important, at one stage she says "they all started out with me - now they're famous".

Khaira Arby
Khaïra Arby, grande dame.
Khaira Arby
thinks, chants in many languages.
Khaira Arby
Khaïra Arby, nightingale, ...
Khaira Arby
... voice like a dream.

Khaira Arby
A Diva ...
Khaira Arby
... greets,
Khaira Arby
... waves.

Old lady that came on stage joins the ranks of background voices., she must be famouse herself
A Lady enters, kisses the boss ...
Old lady that came on stage joins the ranks of background voices., she must be famouse herself
kisses the boss ...
Old lady that came on stage joins the ranks of background voices., she must be famouse herself
... and joins in.
Young beautiful dancer, staring in the distance
Beautiful young dancer.
Warrior dancer with sword
Warrior dancer.

Khaira Arby
Khaira Arby
Khaira Arby
Khaira Arby

Khaira Arby stage
In no way she thinks of leaving the stage, she is important.
Khaira Arby stage
She would sing (tell the stories) forever.

Khaira Arby stage
Khaïra Arby and background singers.
Khaira Arby stage
The girl in the middle has her solo act.
Khaira Arby stage
Amazing! It's Khaïra's school.

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Swedish Itch.

Dragan Popovic and Janna Erikson, progressiv, brutal, avant-garde, goes straight for your heart. Surprise! They are quite well received even by the Touareg and black audience, a sign of tolerance and acceptance of something new. P.S. Sep 2007 they change their name to MITROPA. (myspace).

Dragan Papovic
Dragan Popovic
Janna Erikson
Janna Erikson ...
Janna Erikson
... has voice.

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Bassékou Kouyaté is on again

Bassékou Kouyaté (myspace), master of the ngoni/n'goni is on again. Read more about him on mali-music.

Bassekou Kouyate
Bassékou Kouyaté.
Bassekou Kouyates' chanteuse
Chanteuse.
Bassekou Kouyates' chanteuse
Amy Sacko.
Bassekou Kouyate and Chanteuse
Chanteuse and Master.

She the singer this evening for Bassekou Kouyate
Bassékou's wife Amy Sacko.
She the singer this evening for Bassekou Kouyate
the band before start.
She the singer this evening for Bassekou Kouyate
Bassékou's chateuse.

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more

He can dance and sing.
and rock and roll.
Celebrated by Tiris.

I wish I remembered the guy's name, if you do, send me an email.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > mali > 20060116-essakane-more-more

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