Despite Censorship, Mali’s Musicians Play On
I found a disheartening story today from NPR news about music in the city of Timbuktu that was published on 1/8/13. I never knew this place actually existed since phrases like “from here to Timbuktu” and “as far away as Timbuktu” are so prevalent in society today. Timbuktu is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger and on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert See a map here if you’re interested (or don’t believe me!)
The man pictured is 33-yr old Rapper Amkoullel who sings about self-image, immigration and respect. He’s played all over the world but caught the attention of authorities last year. Concerned about the Islamic insurgency already underway in the north, he created an association called Plus Jamais Ca, French for “never again.” Amkoullel recorded the song “SOS” that declares Mali is in a state of emergency and it was banned by Mali’s government.
Militants linked to al-Qaida have long been a threat in the north according to the article. After the coup in the capital, the militants took advantage of the country’s chaos and took control in all of the north. The al-Qaida-linked militants have banned music of any kind, even cellphone ringtones, and have also put an end to the Festival in the Desert, which had been held for the past decade near Timbuktu.
As a musician I cannot imagine what life would be like is music was banned, even for a week. In the course of a day I use live and recorded music in all of my sessions and lessons, listen to my iPod working out, practice piano at night, and often go to sleep listening to relaxing music.
We all know the most important things human needs for survival: clothing, shelter, some sort of language, communication with each other, belief systems, and so on. But did you know we also need music? I believe music affects everything. It triggers emotions such as happiness and sadness. Music can comfort and make you realize that you’re not alone and you’re not the only one feeling the way you do–be it happy, sad, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, ecstatic, etc. .
A man named Ansar who lives in TImbuktu had this to say: “We can’t fight with gun against them. For me, our only way to fight is to fight by culture, by music.” We’re blessed to have the ability to create and use music every day. I hope you and I never forget that.