It's clear to anyone with even a passing interest in global music that Mali is the new Cuba, outshining even such prodigiously musical countries as fellow West Africans Senegal and Nigeria on the world stage. This land-locked country dominated by the towns on the mighty River Niger and the Touareg-inhabited Northern deserts boasts artists like Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Rokia Traore and Tinariwen to name a few.

"The two festivals complete each other because Mali counts within it various cultures and traditions"
Mamou DaffÈ

And for those who are looking for a more adventurous festival destination than Reading, few events around the world have captured the imagination like the Festival in the Desert www.festival-au-desert.org that takes place between January 7th and 9th 2005. Listening to some of the greatest artists in the world and camping out under the stars of the Saharan desert night, must make Glastonbury seem very tame indeed.

2005 sees a new festival being added to the calendar. This time to the south of Mali. "Segou, on the banks of the river Niger, 130 miles northeast of Bamako, is the capital of a region with a centuries-old culture. It's the capital of the old Bambara kingdom" and the host to the Festival on the Niger.

The organiser, Mamou DaffÈ told Fly,"The two festivals complete each other because Mali counts within it various cultures and traditions, each region having its own expressions. Together these cultures form this culturally rich country. Mali has always been a country of traditional music and dance."

The festival, which lasts from 4th to 6th February 2005, boasts Ali Farka TourÈ, Salif Keita (TBC), Oumou SangarÈ, Habib Koita. As well as masters of authentic music and dance from the Segou region: nautical Bozo dances and the famous marionettes from Segou.

While the nights are for music, the days mix music with cultural trips, boat races, bogolans (mud paintings), congresses, forums and arts and crafts.

We asked the organisers what lay behind this new festival, "AHRTS want to promote tourism in the SÈgou region and make this beautiful town even more attractive." Sounds fair enough but I expect most people will come for the music.

Transportation from Bamako (Mali's capital) to Segou can be arranged through Savane Tours www.motelsavane.com and there is more information about this wonderful event at the official website www.festivalsegou.org

Update: The Festival in the Desert is now over but here is the finalised line up for the Festival sur le Niger

Download the final programme as a PDF document
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--Many thanks to Liesbeth for her help--

Also check Friends of Mali UK