Night falls in Essakane, Mali

This past week, the New York Times featured a piece on music from Mali and the Festival au Desert, which is held each January in the remote African city of Essakane, Mali.

The article made me reflect about my love of travel, my love of other cultures, and about my love of music. Among the reasons that I travel is my desire to experience the world first-hand and to step outside myself and my experiences and gain different perspectives. Travel is not always easy, but it is always rewarding as my recent trip to Marrakesh proved.

One of the joys Bizzybee and I experienced in Marrakesh was the cacophony of drumming in the Jemaa el Fna after dusk and the beautiful Moroccan music that was played at dinner at Riad Monceau. Maybe it was the wine, but honestly, the haunting chords and melodies that came from the oud played by the two musicians sharing their music with us was incredible and magically rhythmic and as colorful as the Moroccan carpets that hung in the souks.

Visiting this part of the world, many travelers will say that they find their journey to be a time-shifting experience and that they feel transported back in time. Yet whose time? And why do we always feel the need to be modern? Yes, yes, camels stride alongside carts, vendors, motorbikes, cars, and pedestrians. Men and women in turbans, hijabs, tunics, jilbabs, etc., amble amongst those of us in western garb. It is colorful and beautiful to behold.

I have long enjoyed all types of music and long before my feet touched the African continent, my Ipod had a large selection of Malian music in it's library. Malian music has absorbed many different influences from Islamic vocals, West African polyrhythms, in addition to Afro-Cuban music and American funk and rock, yet it holds true to its own inherent traditions and is distinctive and full of meditative and mesmerizing sounds.

If your feet long to dance to a different drum, then I suggest you listen to the contemporary sounds of:

**Toumani Diabate with Ballake Sissoko: "New Ancient Strings"
**Salif Keita: "Moffou"
**Ali Farka Touré: "Niafunke"
**Habib Koité and Bamada "Muso Ko"
**Tinariwen: "Amassakoul"
**Boubacar Traoré: "Macire"
**Rokia Traoré: "Bowmboi"
**Oumou Sangare: "Worotan"
**Djelimady Tounkara: "Sigui"
**Abdoulaye Diabaté: "Samory"

It is hardly surprising that the Tuareg band, Tinariwen, recently gained international attention, as well as an opening spot for the Rolling Stones!