Festival au Desert
Clermont Music documented the final edition of the Festival au Desert in 2012 which ended two days before the rebellion that precipitated the crisis in Mali. A collection of prime cuts from established names and intriguing newcomers, the thrill and anxiety of the festival is palpable.
photo Chris Nolan
“the artists demonstrate the richness and diversity of Malian music, from electric guitar-driven “desert blues” to more traditional sounds.“
George de Stefano, PopMatters
“The album beautifully confirms that Mali is the crown jewel of the African stringed-acoustic sound.”
Rohiatou Siby, The Liberator Magazine
“le document est important avec son rock blues malien tous azimuts, touarègue ou pas, ses musiques roots, ses artistes plus connus,”
Yves Bernard, Le Devoir
Music from Mali has moved from a niche among afficianados to western mainstream thanks in large part to the legendary Festival au Desert, a showcase for the multifaceted music of Mali’s north and the desert blues of Tuareg electric guitars. Two days after the finale of the 2012 Festival edition, shooting began in the long simmering Tuareg rebellion in Mali's Sahara Desert. The conflict quickly escalated into a fundamentalist takeover and a coup d'etat. This January 2012 live recording is a compendium of performances by various musicians who braved the insecurity of the region and performed at what has become the last edition of the Festival in Timbuktu. Tracks include songs by singer Kiran Ahluwalia with desert blues icons Tinariwen, Afropop legend Habib Koite, ngoni virtuso Bassekou Kouyate, Timbutku diva Khaira Arby, Touareg traditionalists Tartit, and a many more musicians from around West Africa.
Genre: World
Tags: Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali, Sahara Desert, Essakane, Tinariwen, Tartit, Bassekou Kouyate, Khaira Arby, Imarhan Timbuktu,