“To be a role-model”

Mali 🇲🇱“Before this president came into power, musicians had importance as part of a centuries-old tradition of vocalising life and culture through their lyrics. They were considered to be role-models, confidants and trusted advisors. If you were a musician and you saw two people fighting, you could talk to them, mediate and try to show them the way. Secondly, musicians would explain the experience of what life was like in their songs. When you are a musician and you record something in a studio and send it out, you don’t know who is going to hear it. Part of a musician’s responsibility is that the population hears about the problems in the country and the changes that are needed. It could raise their awareness.”

Musicians from across the country met in response to the resignation of the president during a coup d’etat that followed months of mass protest. They hope to influence political change as trusted community advisors. Mohamed, who founded the band, Inhaden, went to this first meeting of its kind.

“At the meeting we discussed how we can once again contribute to the fabric of Malian communities to help. We need a good president, we need a president who can make changes in the country and who cares about the people. Our president wanted power but he did not care about anyone in the country. There has been lots of unemployment and many areas where there are no schools. Too many children have missed out on education for the last seven years.”

Mohamed’s band, Inhaden, performs at the Festival Vivre Ensemble, in Timbuktu.