Bonjour Bombino De Niger

Author: Linda Vakunta

“Bonjour Bombino”

“Salut”

“Comment va tu?”

“Ca va, merci”

“Et le voyage?”

My co-host, Alhaji N’jai, and I went backstage to get acquainted with the artist before introducing him on stage. The young Tuareg guitarist and songwriter appeared a bit shy—the effects of a new environment, no doubt. He was dealing with a language barrier and a mild case of nervousness. It very well could have been a combination.  As we spoke, he loosened up, finally hearing a language he could respond to—French, with an heavy African accent.  He was reserved but smiled often, although, only enough to show some teeth. We went into the artist’s tent to meet his band members. They were less shy and a bit more eager to engage than their front man.

Mali to Madison: Queen of Desert Blues, Author: Linda Vakunta

Khaira Arby

I jolted as I read the article title my friend had just forwarded to me, “Timbuktu Encircled As Mali Coup Intensifies.” I checked my clock. It was 8 AM—much too early for such distressing news. Plus, I had decided to actively spend more time reading positive developments from the continent. As expected, this is not an easy task given the heavy dose of negative media produced for global consumption when it comes to Africa. The British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) segment, African Dream, is currently on top of my list for regular positive reads about Africa. The segment’s goal is to highlight an individual from Africa who is making significant contribution and impacting their community positively.

With the above resolution, a response to such negative news would have been: a sigh, a head-shake, and a prompt click on the “delete” button. Obviously, it’s convenient to do this when you live far away from the issues taking place on the ground; and only visit during university break periods like I do. Until two years ago Timbuktu, to me, was just the great historic city located in Mali at the edge of the Sahara desert. It is  known as one of the earliest  learning and trade centers in Africa. It was an encounter I had a while ago, however, that exposed me to the fact that Tim-Buktu (the place of Buktu) was also important to Blues Music. I was fortunate to meet and spend time with Khaira Arby “Queen of the Desert Blues,” --born in a village not far from the historic city itself.