Words by Cathy Zeilfelder

Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur and member of animated band Gorillaz, has been named as a ‘local king’ in the West African state of Mali.



The music of Mali has been a great inspiration for Albarn for many years, who has made repeated visits to the country, and went recently to attend a three-day demonstration of peace where there is a ‘hunger for music.’



N’Diaye Ramatoulaye Diallo, Mali’s minister of culture, crafts and development stated recently to The Guardian that, “We don’t have diamonds in Mali, we don’t have oil, but what we do have is the music.”



Mali has been in a state of emergency after several terrorist attacks, and the November 2015 Islamist attack on the Raddison Blu hotel in the capital, Bamako, has severely affected the state’s music and tourism industry. Foreign visitors from the U.K., USA and Australia have been warned not to travel to Mali, and music festivals have been cancelled or cut back. Seeing internationally known artists such as Albarn travel safely and perform is a great display of peace, and gives many Malians a sense of hope.



When asked how Albarn felt about the dedication by the BBC, he said, “I’m not used to this sort of thing. But it’s fantastic to see this school room and it’s a school dedicated to music and dance. That’s where my heart is, so my heart is here.”



Albarn released the album Mali Music in 2002 as a benefit to the Oxfam charity, which was a collaboration with various Malian musicians including Afel Bocoum, and Toumani Diabaté & Friends. The upbeat combination of traditional Malian sounds and vocals work surprisingly well with Albarn’s more modern instruments and layered sounds.



You can listen to Mali Music in whole here:

Image: BBC