This may come as a surprise to some people, but Mali is one of the most diverse musical countries with many famous malian musicians.Â
Home to the desert blues and one of the world’s most famous guitar players, Mali has a lot in store for international music lovers.Â
Before moving to the most important Malian musicians, we have to start with a short cultural background.
Malian Musicians | A Short Cultural Background
As in many African countries, Mali comprises different ethnic blocks, with each its own unique cultures. Check out this video if you want to learn more.
The one that dominates is that of the ancient Mali Empire of Mandinka (c.1230-1600).
The Mande people (Bambara, Maninka, Soninke) make up 50% of the country’s population, with the Bambara being the biggest one (~37% of the population). That explains why roughly 80% of the Malian population speaks the Bambara language.
Other ethnic groups include the Fula (17%), Gur-speakers (12%), Songhai people (6%), Tuareg,and Moors 10% [wikipedia].
All these groups have different cultural habits with different types of music and musical instruments.
In addition to that, there is a special caste for musicians and storytellers called the Jeliw.
Mali’s rich music scene is likely a product of a long history of cultural diversity.
We’ll talk more about these topics later, but we’ll start with five famous Malian artists.
Ali Farka won 3 Grammys for his albums ‘Ali and Toumani’, ‘In the Heart of the Moon,’ and ‘Talking Timbuktu.’Â
I personally like his album ‘Talking Timbuktu‘ best, which he co-produced with the famous blues guitarist Rye Cooder.Â
Ali Farka is one of the fathers of African desert blues and has successfully brought together various music styles.
2. Tinariwen
Tinariwen, which means desert, is a band from the Sahara region in northern Mali. The group’s founder (Ibrahim Ag Alhabib) witnessed his father’s execution as a young kid and later fled to Algeria, where he lived as a refugee. In 1980 the band members received military training in Libya, which Ghaddaffi offered to illegal immigrants in Libya. They later joined a similar Tuareg rebel training program in Libya, where Ibrahim and the other band members met.
During this period, the band started producing free tapes with songs about the Tuareg people’s issues. After a peace agreement in 1991, the band fully dedicated itself to music. In the years to follow, the band received more international recognition and eventually won a Grammy in 2011 for their album Tassili. Although Tinariwen often tours Europe, I have to admit that I missed the last two before the pandemic.
3. Salif Keita
Salif Keita was born a traditional prince but rejected by his family because of his albinism, which was considered bad luck in Mandinka culture.Â
He fled Mali during a period of political unrest and left for Ivory Coast, but only started to acquire more international fame after moving to Paris.Â
Salif mixes West-African music with American and European influences and uses traditional instruments such as balafons (xylophones), djembes (drums), and koras (string instruments).
In Fula music, the most important instruments are the drums, hoddu (similar to a banjo), and riti (comparable to a violin).Â
Two popular forms of vocal music are (1) singing in the Fula language, and (2) utulation, a sound that is formed by moving the tongue sideways and making a sharp, high sound (see an example at the start of this video).
Music and musical instruments play an important role in every occasion in life.Â
Fulani herders are especially fond of the flute and violin (called nianioru) and make music in the fields.Â
A well-known Fula musician is the Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.
Songhai
Songhai music combines lute fingerpicking with singing, drumming (on the mbaggu), and an instrument called the goje (comparable to a violin).Â
He uses blues influences and uses a mixture of local traditions such as Mandinka, Bambara, and Fula.
Tuareg
The two major components in Tuareg music are the monochord violin anzad, and a small tambour covered with goatskin called a tende.Â
The Tuareg play the anzad during night parties and the tende during festivities such as camel and horse races.Â
The traditional songs (Asak and Tisiway) are sung during feasts and social occasions. Another popular Tuareg musical genre is Takamba, with characteristics of its Afro percussions.Â
The best-known Tuareg band is Tinariwen.
The Jeli Caste
The jeli is a cast of professional musicians, historians, storytellers, and poets.Â
Malian traditions were historically transferred orally, and the people fulfilling this role are called the jeliw (plural of jeli).Â
The jeliw would recite or sing their stories and share them with the next generations.Â
This is an important role, which is why the jeliw were often seen as leaders and advisors to the royal family.
Some other Malian Musicians worth checking out are Habib Koite, Oumou Sangare (also won a Grammy), Bassekou Kouyate, Rokia Traore, Boubacar Traore, Amadou & Mariam.
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