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CD Review
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Musictoday, CD Review >>
Essakane, a tiny Saharan "town" in the North African country of Mali (about 50 miles from Timbuktu), seems an unbelievably remote place to hold a music festival. Yet, when put in the context of history, politics, and tribal harmony, the locale could not have been more appropriate. This January, for the third year, Essakane hosted the Festival in the Desert, a surreal musical gathering established in part by French group Lo'Jo and Malian rebels turned music stars Tinariwen. The festival is based on traditional gatherings held by the nomadic Tamashek people (more commonly known as Tuareg, an Arabic term meaning "abandoned by the gods") of northern Mali, who have congregated for centuries to swap news, and celebrate with dance, songs, poetry, and ritual sword fighting. Just a decade ago, this festival would not have even been possible, as the military government in the south of Mali forced the Tuaregs into refugee camps, sparking decades of violent civil war (and a rebellious form or guitar-based trance music from the likes of Tinariwen, who formed in the '70s in the these camps). But with 1996's "Flame of Peace," a symbolic bonfire of nearly three thousands guns, and the onset of democratic government, reconciliation between different camps became a reality, and ignited the passion of a dedicated few who were determined to open up the region's rich musical heritage to the rest of the world.
Accessible only by a brutal 4x4 ride or many-day travel by camel, the third Festival in the Desert was captured by Lo'Jo's sound crew on the appropriately titled World Village release Festival In The Desert, an album as remarkable for its music as its jaw-dropping liner notes, courtesy of British writer Andy Morgan. There are some relatively big names in African music here (Malian stars Ali Farka Toure and Oumou Sangare), as well as one conspicuous British rock star (Robert Plant), but most of the artists here are straight from the desert. Take, for instance, Tinariwen, a group whose hypnotic vocals and raw electric guitar make for an exhilarating listen, especially when the politically-charged lyrics are taken into account, or Tartit, an all-female singing group whose roots also lie in the aforementioned Tuareg refugee camps. There is nothing contrived or prepackaged, just natural, stark beauty like the festival's surreal desert setting. Plant, for one, seems a bit out of place, but his humble appreciation of the region's music goes a long way toward reconciling his Western-ness, if you will. North America is even represented, in the form of Navajo punk rockers Blackfire, who must have shocked and surprised the predominantly Tamashek crowd with their boisterous electric attack.
With a DVD package expected some time next year and more events set to take place in the coming years, this uniquely Saharan festival should continue to capture the attention of open-minded music lovers. And with its sublime setting, joyous atmosphere, and venue for discovery, Essakane's groundbreaking gathering may be destined to become a musical Mecca of sorts. World Village's Festival In The Desert, through brilliant sound quality, choice song selection, and truly remarkable packaging, is an absolute must have.
10/21/03 >> go there
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