Festival sur le Niger

The seventh edition of the Festival sur le Niger, a music and culture festival in Ségou, took place from Tuesday, February 1st through Sunday, February 6th. Mali is a country well-known for its impressive array of diverse and quality music. Two major festivals showcase this annually within Mali; the Festival au Desert in Timbuktu and the Festival sur le Niger. The Festival sur le Niger is a more recent entrant, but due to the security concerns present in the northern reaches of Mali over the past several years, it has taken it's place as the preeminent music festival in Mali, drawing the top acts within the country, as well as from the region.

I feel privileged to have attended this year's festival. From Tuesday night through Sunday night, each day from 10am through 6pm was filled with concerts on a side stage and several smaller performances put on by different 'troupes' of musicians, griots, dancers, acrobats, 'jacko(s)' (or masks/ mascots), marionnettes (puppets), and the like. These events were free to the public. Each night involved a concert on the main stage with the major acts. Access for the night shows required a ticket, but at a much-reduced rate for Mali nationals. This resulted in a festival that certainly attracted it's share of tourists from across the world, but was heavily enjoyed by the local population.

The main stage at the festival, where the nightly 'Concert géant sur le fleuve' took place. The stage is set upon a barge, which was pulled up along the shore of the Niger River.

I could not have been more impressed with this festival. The concerts may not have always been on-time, but they were pretty damn close, more-so than most festivals in the states. The setting was incredibly scenic, being along the Niger River. Just a month prior, the Niger River was still brown and swelled, I'm assuming due to sediment runoff from the rainy season, which ended in October. During the festival, the river was stunning, with rather clear, blue water. Small beer gardens with food and drink were set up throughout the festival grounds, and a large area of booths was set aside for local craftsmen, as well as a couple local bottlers of food and beverage, including some tasty mango juice.

Another view of the main stage at the festival.

I have always enjoyed live music and festivals, and have been to my share back in the states. But the Festival sur le Niger was by far the most entertaining and enriching festival experience I have ever had. The music was phenomenal and diverse, and the varied aspects of all the diverse cultures represented was incredibly interesting. Below are some pictures of what I would personally consider the highlights. Unless otherwise noted, these are all Malian performers:

Wednesday

A traditional hunter performance troupe dancing and playing wooden whistles during the opening ceremony.

A group of Tuareg musicians closing out the opening ceremony. A traditional gourd drum provided a constant, monotonous percussive rhythym while a traditional Malian guitar drenched in effects played overtop. The end result was incredibly hypnotic and addictive.

Another picture of the group of Tuareg musicians closing out the opening ceremony. Towards the end of their performance, a couple male dancers came on-stage and performed impressive acrobatics.

Another picture of the group of Touareg musicians performing with the acrobatic dancers.

Gnawas d'Agadir (from Morocco) performing Wednesday night on the river.  A few of their members played traditional drums and a rather bulky traditional guitar. The majority of them, however, simply played small little hand-held metal 'clankers,' one in each hand. They took turns dancing out in front with them as well.

Future Takamba is a group of Tuareg musicians, which played alongside a Dutch DJ who treated some of the instruments with effects. This band consisted of one man playing a traditional gourd instrument for the same, monotonous percussion as the other Tuareg band earlier in the day and two men playing traditional Malian guitars. Again, I could not get enough of this music - straight-up hypnotic. A man and a woman performed traditional dances during the performance.

Thialey Harby performing with his band (Tuareg from Timbuktu). Ami Wassidie, who performed just before his set, came on stage to dance with two Touareg children.

Thursday

The group Bwanzan performing on the side stage during the morning. This group was stellar and very energetic, with traditional drummers and two 'balɔnfɔn' (traditional Malian wooden xylophone) players. The men also sang in harmony while two women danced.

A Bambaran performance troupe, very similar to the performances in my market town for the Cinquantenaire. This group consisted of traditional drummers and female singers, and unleashed several different ‘jackos’ (masks/ mascots) as they performed. They brought out a few ‘jackos’ with coffin-type bodies representing local farm animals, just like in my market town. Others were unique, such as this red devil-type mask.

Another picture of the Bambaran performance troupe from Thursday. This ‘jacko’ was an elaborate bird with flapping wings. Note the man out in front, who uses a shaker to guide the bird around, as there apparently are no eye-holes.

Bassekou Kouyaté performing with his band. This group had four traditional Malian guitarists, one who sung alongside a female vocalist, and traditional drummers.

Sayon Camara and her band of drummers, guitarists, backup singers, backup dancers, and a horn section. This was a very fun, energetic band with songs that were often funky.

Friday

A group of Tuaregs performing on the sand in the middle of the festival grounds. The group sat in a square, and one woman slapped a calabash floating in water to provide the hypnotic percussive back-beat. The other women clapped for rhythym, one man played the traditional Malian guitar, and another man sung. All throughout the performance, men and boys took turns individually dancing in their traditional clothing, leaping and squatting to the ground.

Another picture of the Tuareg performance.

Orchestre Régional closing out Friday's afternoon session on the side-stage. The local crowd went wild and rushed the stage when the lead singer came out. He performed alongside a ridiculously talented, rhythmic band with intricately woven music. To the delight of the crowd, as he sung, two dancers (out front) acted out his lyrics in rather playful and comic gestures.

Issa Bakayoko, a famed kora player performing alongside a djembé player and an odd backing track. His music was very fun and rhythymic, but it was very bizarre to have the backing track as opposed to backup singers and a bass guitarist.

Toumani Diabaté, a famed kora player, performing alongside his Symmetric Orchestra. The Orchestra included a drummer, traditional percussion, a talking drum, guitar, keyboard, and a revolving cast of singers. Their music was very complex and rythymic, and reminded me of some of Youssou N'dour's work in that way. I especially enjoyed the talking drum.

Oumou Sangaré performing with her impressive band. Her set was very strong, and worked the crowd into an absolute frenzy. I have been listening to her music before I came to Mali, and she did not disappoint.

Saturday

Yelen Coura performing on the side stage. Their group consisted of traditional percussionists and a couple kora players.

A performance by a Bambaran dace troupe with a couple of 'jackos.'

The festival held several 'kurun' (pirogue/boat) races on the Niger River on Saturday afternoon. Each 'kurun' had 15 to 20 people onboard paddling with oars. Here is the start.

The victorious group of men celebrating at the finish line.

The group Gnawas d'Agadir of Morocco performed again on the side stage Saturday afternoon.

A 'kurun' filled with Malian musicians, providing the background music for the 'marionettes' (puppets).

One elaborate 'marionette' was a crocodile which drifted down the river while raising and lowing it's tail, and opening and closing it's mouth.

A group of Bambaran men performing a traditional dance with sticks, encircling the traditional percussionists.

Amity Miria, from neighboring Burkina Faso, performing alongside her backup dancers. Her set was strong and varied, mixing energetic dance numbers with melodramatic ballads.

During Saturday's nighttime concert, a slew of 'kuruns' rowed up beside the stage baring lighted torches, adding to the already great ambience.

Femi Kuti, from Nigeria, performing his brand of Afrobeat alongside his band The Positive Force. His father, Fela Kuti, had invented the genre. His large band of horns, percussion, drums, and keyboard powered through an energetic set of his funky tunes. I absolutely love Afrobeat. Oddly, however, this was the one set the Malians didn't dig. Whereas throughout every other set over the week, the crowd energy was phenomenal, half of the Malians flat out sat down for this one. Maybe it was the English?

Sunday

Badenya Percussion/ Les Frères Coulibaly from Burkina Faso delivered one of my favorite performances of the week, with high energy traditional music making use of 'balɔnfɔn,' traditional percussion, guitar, bass, and traditional harmonic vocals.

A Bambaran troupe of traditional drummers performing under a festival tent. The old man in the traditional farming hat provided the frail, traditional vocals.

Troupe de Yorosso, a Bambaran troupe, performing during the closing ceremony. Their group made use of the standard traditional drummers and singers, but also utilized very odd, distinctive 'jackos' that spun and bobbed like tops.

Much to the chagrin of the locals, one of the headlining acts from Sunday cancelled. But in their place performed the local group Balanzan from Ségou. Their performance was a highlight - several traditional percussionists, two male singers, a kora player, and a traditional Malian guitar player delivered a sweltering, high-energy set of rythymic dance music that was over all too fast.

Sadio Kouyaté, a female vocalist, performing with her band of traditional Malian guitarists, a talking drum, gourd percussion, and backup singers. Her songs were all very rythymic, whether high energy dance burners or mellow crooners.

Amadou & Miriam, the pop stars of Mali, closed out the festival Sunday night. They are a blind couple, and performed alongside a large and uber-talented band. Their music was much more high-energy than I expected, and whipped the crowd into a frenzy of dance.