Wed December 03 2008  —  e-mail Manfred  —  Follow me on Twitter  —  Facebook

Essakane/Tombouctou/Timbuktu Festival au désert, continued.

That's meFollow This Fab Trek on Twitter

Flag Mali

Monday, January 16 2006

1 year, 5 month, 25 days

Essakane, Mali

Navigation.

About.

Manfred and MB307
Journey to India.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, photography and journey, a travel blog (since 2004).

Understand and tolerate, report and photograph, enjoy and live - inhale different concepts of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). Reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free.

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night has always asked those questions. What are you doing in corporate wonderland, banking, university, office, church. Who is the other animal asleep inside, thinker, punk, creative, cowboy, vagabond, anarchist, healer, artist, writer, photographer, intellectual? Oh God dare you to think.

So when he sees the gamble, manipulations and lies he follows the old old dream, sets out for this journey that is called life, explore the world traveling overland.

Manfred is father of twin boys, Daniel and David.

ThisFabTrek is ongoing. Photography and Journey, Story of Life Around the World, Music, Art, Festivals and Love and Peace. Photography and articles are for sale.

Daniel left and David right
Daniel David, in Land Rover 6x6x, beach in Djembereng, Casamance, Senegal
Daniel and David on Bonnet of Land Rover 6x6x, on way to Casamance Senegal, eating Bananas.
Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

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

Land Rover 44,051km

Trekking 305km

Ferry 694km

Train 150km

Other cars 5.336km

RSS feed
Share
Bookmark and Share

The Journey.

contains Festival/Art photography.

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

Where are we? Central Sub Saharan Africa.

Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
It happenes in Africa.
Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
Artists and Audience.

And people come from far.

That is what I like about festivals.

The mixture, blending of different nationalities, races, people, music. Each individual becomes an unobtrusive part of a greater whole. For a couple of days.

Empty stage in Essakane.
Stage for the Festival au désert..
Irish Folk band .
Irish Folk band Aiestar.
Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
Tourists and Tuareg.

back to top

Tuareg gathering before sunset.

Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Festival au désert.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Gathering and show riding...
Touareg gathering on dromedaries.
their dromedaries.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries against the setting sun.
silhouetted ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries against the setting sun.
... against the setting sun.
Tuareg getting ready to ride.
Getting ready to ride.
Tuareg getting ready to ride.
Sent off ....
Tuareg getting sent off to ride one by one.
... one by one.
Tuareg getting sent off to ride one by one.
Ready?
Tuareg gathering on camels.
... then go and chase ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
... these tourists.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Watch and be amused of what happens.

back to top

The kids are alright

Tuareg children gathering on camels.
Children on the ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Festival au désert.

Chase

Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
Chasing tourists ...
Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
... a fun game ...
Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
... for rider and dromedary.

back to top

Scène Traditionelle, Touareg/Tuareg.

Traditional Touareg//Tuareg dance and musique performed by groups like Tamana and Tendé. (See a film.)

Tamana ...
Men relax, sing, and play ...
Tamana ...
Girls sit and dance ...
Tamana ...
Some just watch the show ...

back to top

More from the concerts

Aiestar, Irish folk.

Aiestar, flute player
A bit worried when coming onto the stage.
Aiestar, flute player
Celtic and Irish ...
Aiestar, flute player
Pub feeling ....

"It took us three days to get here". She introduces the band. A long way from home. They received a warm welcome. And a bit of Irish pub feeling wants to disperse.

back to top

Markus James and Tinariwen, desert Blues.

Tinariwen, guitar.
Markus James and Tinariwen, Njarka, one string fiddle.

Californian Markus James has been recording with Malian traditional Wassoulou and Songhai musicians for many years and it has won him wide acclaim.

Tinariwen (means empty places) is a band of Toaureg tribesmen, a guitar band formed in Algerian refugee camps.

Vocals alternate between Tamashek and English rendering a very special note. True cross-over. Wonderful.

More here, and here, and here, and Markus' remembering Ali. Interesting as well the Malian connection.

Markus James
Markus James, slide guitar.
Markus James
The sung language is Tamashek.
Tinariwen, guitar.
First Touareg guitar band (since 1982).

back to top

Great Bassékou Kouyaté and American Leni Stern.

She is the target of ridicule, dedicates one song to Ali Farka Toure another one to the people of Touareg, a song that she calls Insha'Allah. She demands sympathy all too obvious when her guitar playing is just average and her songs flat. An embarrassment. Poor Bassékou. Guitar Player, Leni Stern's desert diary. PS. 200802. Her official page.

Bassékou Kouyaté (myspace) is the master of the ngoni/n'goni. And he has played it since he was a boy. "It was a toy for the children". Already his father was one of the best players around. Bassékou is passionate about promoting his mystical instrument. And he's played it with stars like Carlos Santana ... But read it all here.

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni
Ngoni player Bassékou Kouyaté, un des meilleurs.
Bassekou Kouyate
Bassékou plays with American guitarist ...
Bassekou Kouyate
She thinks she's oh so brilliant ...

Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
A great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
A desert voice. Beautiful.

Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.

back to top

Comments

Postings by readers don't necessarily represent my own views. I delete what I deem inappropriate. So be fair, don't swear. Discuss photography, travels, places, politics, whatever else faintly touches the subject of the page.

about Leni
I could not agree with you more... I thought to myself `what is she doing on that stage?` Bassékou Kouyaté did not need her there.
#1 - meltem - 02/03/2010 - 07:16
Name
E-mail (Will not appear online)
Homepage
Title
Comment
To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.



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

back to top