Get exposed: learn about Mali

Mali is a magical place, replete with a rich history and engaging peoples. This page features ideas for learning about the cultural, linguistic and social context of MHOP's home.

HEAR MALI
  1. Enjoy the sounds of afro-pop sensation, Salif Keita, the pride and joy of many a Malian.
  2. Groove to jazz and blues fusion with DeeDee Bridgewater, an American who discovered a home in Mali and its music.
  3. Ali Farka Toure and Vieux Farka Toure have been cited by Martin Scorsese as constituting the "DNA of the [American] blues."
  4. Mellow with Touareg blues and the warble of Tinariwen, representative of the sounds of North Mali and its desert sands.
  5. Boogie with trilingual powerful vocalist, Rokia Traore, quickly rising in the ranks of Malian musicians to join the likes of Amadou and Miriam and Habib Koite (above).


SEE MALI
  1. Photographers Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita have earned fame with worldwide exhibits subtly detailing the evolution of Mali from the 1950s and '60s through today.
  2. Visit AED's Visual Griots of Mali project to see how young Malians view their own circumstances
  3. Check out MHOP's photo albums for our take on quotidian matters in Sikoro and Sourakabougou
  4. Visit Flickr's Mark William Brunner to see portraits of Malians
  5. Visit Flickr's Osvaldo Zoom to see day-to-day life in Mali


WATCH MALI
  1. Bamako - Widely available in the United States and a 2006 Cannes contender, Abderrahmane Sissako's film details the tension between the Western world and the development of Mali. Set as a trial in a Bamako compound amidst the bustling life of the city, participants debate the role of the IMF and World Bank.
  2. Yaaba - The film is a stark exploration of village life in neighborning country Burkina Faso, and the complex familial and generational social roles that govern day-to-day relations for many. Subtitled in English.
  3. Kirikou - In a beautifully artistic cartoon format set in a generic West African context, the film represents an unlikely hero and the obstacles he must overcome to rightfully hold his title. Available subtitled in French or English; great for beginning French speakers.
  4. Living Memory: Six Sketches of Mali Today - The Musee National de Mali produced this film in six parts to detail the history and culture of Mali. The film covers ritual arts, culture on display, architecture, style, contemporary artists and music. English narration, multilingual dialogue.
  5. Taafe Fanga - A griot in present day Mali tells a story about women in an 18th century Dogon village. Fed up with male arrogance, one woman captures a powerful Albarga mask and terrorizes the men in assuming traditional women's roles. The humorous results convince everyone that women should be respected as complementary, yet equal, to men, if society as a whole is to advance. In Dogon with English subtitles (Description: University of Iowa)
  6. Kabala - A drama featuring a young man on an epic quest that mirrors the famous  epic of Sundjata Keita. Hamalla struggles to convince his village that the water source needs to purified, a taboo suggestion given the well's spiritual significance. In Bambara with English subtitles.

 

 

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