Marching Bands along the Niger

So Mali often seems like a world of unharnessed potential. I remember coming here a couple years back with a Cingular (now ATT) phone that I couldn't get unlocked before leaving the US. Frustrated that I could free it from the corporate cell phone company chains I was almost ready to ditch it for the standard Nokia $30 made in Dubai special. However, I soon discovered that you can get any type of phone fixed to work in Mali - you simply bring it to the market - hand it off to a phone guy with about $14 and the Chinese-trained engineers in the market stalls fix everything for you. This type of thing makes you stop and say wow - the ingenuity, the creativity, the dynamism - there is a lot of potential in Mali. Conversations with 8 year old math whiz money changers and the plentiful rich world of Malian music create similar sentiments.

However, it is rare - that this potential if fully realized. One ingredient is usually missing to prevent the allstars from really shining. Last night was an exception.

The French Cultural Center, EU, and Orange Mali (cell phone company and one of the only private enterprises here that is truly on top of its game) hosted music along the Niger river - looking out over the old bridge. It was free!!! and it was replete with a Malian marching band, live accordion accompaniment to silent films, documentaries on Malian artists, Spanish flamenco, french jazz artists, Coco Dembele (pictured), and the Super Rail Band of Bamako. It was truly awesome - the setting, the $1.50 beers, the liberty of street vendors to sell their own wares at reasonable prices, the crowd, the entertainment - everything was idyllic. I couldn't stay for the afterparty - a big screened VJ tribute to African music videos of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I rest assured that that rocked too.

Makes you wonder why the Malian Min of Culture (who owns the space) doesn't do something fun like this every weekend? Why does it require massive donor dollars to pull this off? A stage, cheap refreshments, and the abundant talent of Malian artists is certainly feasible and could fill up an entire year of Saturdays....