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Festival in Exile

Performers

Biography

This part of West Africa is the cradle of music, and Mali in particular, which became the blues, which became rock n’roll... It’s really the big bang of all the music we love. —BonoJoin the Skoll World Forum community as we stand in solidarity with Mali’s leading musicians in their debut of the awareness campaign, Festival in Exile. Barred from performing in their own land and at their acclaimed Festival au Desert outside of Timbuktu by radical extremists, the campaign promotes an international dialogue of peace and plurality through cultural exchange. Performers include: Mama Wallet Amoumine – Malian singer from the Tuareg band Tartit, Habib Koité – Malian guitarist, singer & band leader, Bassekou Kouyaté – Malian Ngoni player, Vieux Farka Touré – Malian guitarist, singer & band leader, Mama Toumani Koné – Malian percussionist, and Valess Assouan – Côte d'Ivoire bass player.