the independent, 18 august 2012
Can musical mali play on?
Islamism is on the march and threatening to wipe out the country's cultural heritage. Rose Skelton reports from Bamako. MORE
roads and kingdoms, july 2012
singing the coup
West Africa has a long tradition of griots, or praise singers, who sing the praises of leaders--chieftains, warriors, businessmen, religious heads and presidents. But what if the country (or the military) doesn't share the enthusiasm? What is there's a coup d'etat? In March, I was in Mali, with one of the president's many praise singers, when all of a sudden, the president was not president anymore. MORE