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Festival in the Desert

Photo by Alfred Weidinger
/
Flickr

Fri. 9/21 10p: Special edition of our travels to Mali's legendary Festival in the Desert from 2003.

At the this time when Mali marks its independence anniversary, and in light of the ongoing crisis there, we reprise this very special edition of  our program when in 2003 we traveled to Mali’s legendary Festival in the Desert set in the rolling sand dunes about a half day’s drive from Timbuktu. This is where some 2,000 Tuaregs came to hang out together, race their camels, play sand hockey and enjoy concerts by Tuareg musicians from Mali, Mauritania and Niger. We visit artists in their tents for unplugged, acoustic sessions by Khaira Arby, Bocar Madjo, Lobi Traore and others. Plus highlights from Festival concerts. And we visit with Festival participants including Robert Plant .