Cool in the Desert:
NYT story about a music festival in the middle of the Sahara in Mali….
Nearby, a stage rose out of the dunes, decked in modern sound and lighting gear. Off-road vehicles unloaded musicians fresh from the stomach-churning drive from Timbuktu. Digital cameras flashed. Cellphones sang. MP3 players whispered into western ears.
After dark, turbans bobbed in peaceful Tamashek-language conversation around simple fires, while amplified electric-guitar Malian blues floated from a nearby dune. A cluster of Tuaregs around the guitarist clapped and cheered.
Top acts, from Robert Plant to Jimmy Buffett, have made their way to the festival in recent years, but most are local blues and West African roots musicians. This year’s special guest was Tinariwen, the Tuareg band that recently caught international attention and a spot opening for the Rolling Stones.
Sometimes, you do get the idea that the idea of a common human spirit is out there…