In West Africa, a region that has seen its fair share of turmoil, Mali has remained a largely peaceful and open society. Much of the counsel and stories its traditional music and arts teach Malian history and how the various ethnic groups in Mali learned to co-exist. Traditional stories explain the origins of inter-ethnic cooperation and family ties, and dictate appropriate behavior in disputes and reconciliation strategies.

The region of West Africa and in particular Mali has enriched the world’s music. So many forms of musical expression come from this region and have influenced other genres of music. Jazz and Blues in particular find their origins in West Africa, and these have given rise to many other musical styles and stars. Where would the Beatles or Rolling Stones have been without the influence of Blues and therefore Malian music? Musicians from Mali have been nominated for, and won more World Music Grammys than any other country. Mali is known worldwide because of artists like Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate, Salif Keita, Rokia Traore, and most recently Bassekou Kouyate. While many of these musicians incorporate modern instrumentation into their music, like electric guitar, the rhythms, melodies, and playing styles come from traditional instruments like the balaphone (West African xylophone), horns, and traditional harps and lutes. The music of Oumou Sangaré, Grammy-nominated Malian artist, is directly descended from the music traditions surrounding the danh a traditional harp. Furthermore, traditional instruments are the only instruments being built locally. While foreign-made instruments like the guitar are popular in Mali, they are difficult to acquire and expensive to buy. Without traditional instruments in villages and accessible to youth, this country, world renowned for its music, would no longer have the training grounds and materials that have produced world famous artists and can produce artists of the future.

And yet, with all the beautiful music that has come out of Mali and been introduced to the world, there is much that is still left undiscovered and which will sadly never be heard outside of village borders or become the foundation of new musical styles. Malian music is rich because there is such a deep connection to its roots, to its tradition. Even when Malian music is performed on stage, it feels alive and vibrant because it comes from living traditions that are still practiced ceremonially, by communities in Mali today. Conserving traditional music insures that modern Malian artists will continue to have material to draw from into the future.

“The huge spiritual world that music produces in itself ends up overcoming material poverty. From the minute a child’s taught how to play an instrument, he’s no longer poor. He becomes a child in progress, heading for a professional level, who’ll later become a citizen.” -Dr. Jose Abreu, Venezuelan pianist, economist, educator, activist, and politician.

However, Mali’s most prominent and developed “export” is its music. Its traditional music forms and scales, which traveled west during the period of slavery, developed in America to become Jazz, and the Blues, which have had tremendous world-wide influence. The music also continued to develop in its native habitat, and has given rise to world music stars Ali Farka Toure, Salif Keita, Boubacar Traore (KarKar) to name a very few. Their musical impact is enhanced by vocals which borrow from griot story telling traditions, and by a plethora of native instruments like the ngoni, the kora, and the balaphone, (instruments which led to modern forms such as the guitar, and xylophone) and by expressive dance styles.

Despite the historical and current wealth of the Malian musical tradition, there is much more which is sadly on the brink of extinction. There are numerous music forms, song and oratory styles, traditional instruments and instrument craftsman, which will be lost forever without a determined effort to preserve, document, and revive the communities which gave birth to and supported these traditions.

Mali’s unique and peaceable mix of trading, farming, and herding peoples created a lifestyle built on storytelling exchanges, and celebratory, harvest, or life transition festivals accompanied by dance and song. Artisans crafted specialized instruments, producing unique sounds that were an integral part of the community’s expressions of sentiment and identity.

However, as Mali has moved away from subsistence farming, herding and from a bartering economy towards a money based system, life has become more expensive for the poor. Young people leave their villages in throngs to search for work—most often for menial or manual labor jobs—in the cities. During certain times of the year, villages are devoid of young men and women between the ages of 13 and 30. Youth are also increasingly influenced by the lifestyles they see on global media, which has also made its way to remote villages, unfortunately without bringing the means for realizing these pictured living standards.

Thus Mali’s traditional lifestyle is rapidly disappearing, displaced by urban culture and yearnings, or devalued by new economical necessities and desires. This shift in demographics and economics has affected the value placed on Mali’s cultural and musical traditions (musical instruments, artisans, songs and oratory, and dance) and these are rapidly being lost. The repositories of these traditions (artisans, elders, and singers/dancers) have no one to whom these precious artifacts can be transmitted.

The goal of “Instruments 4 Africa” (501c3) is to preserve traditional village music arts and the structures which support it. This living cultural history is of enormous importance to anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, as well as for modern artists. However, these traditions are valuable not only to outsiders, but are of inestimable value for Malians themselves. They offer revenue potential in developing and publicizing these forms, and can provide an anchoring force as well for young Malians weathering the dramatic shifts inherent in modernization taking place in their country.

Ho ho ho!  Papa Noel came to the Jigeseme School in Sabalybougou this week!  Yves was the best Papa Noel ever, complete with candy cane tracksuit and belly like a bowl full of jelly!  The little ones were singing, happy and enjoying their gifts.  The I4A girls troupe performed for their entire school and they were excellent!  It was an awesome day!  Happy Holidays!

It’s that time of year for charitable giving.  We are proud to say that 100% of your donations go directly to the girls’ education programs at Instruments 4 Africa.  As per Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof, “…money goes farther in the developing world…the most cost effective interventions are often at the grassroots level.”  While many of the big organizations spend a chunk of their donations on big fundraising campaigns, we at instruments4africa keep administrative costs to a bare minimum.  The small group of us who run the organization do it on a strictly volunteer basis.  This is why we can apply 100% of your donation directly to those in need.

Small donations add up and make a big difference in these young girls’ lives.  Thank you, we could not do it without your support.  I continue to be inspired by the girls…their potential and progress.  You are giving them a chance to create a different future for themselves, their families and their community.  Again, to quote Nicholas Kristof, “Building self-reliance and empowering people to fix their own problems is key.”  We agree, we aim to do this and we are true believers in the possibility.

I am also inspired by those who reach out and give from their hearts.  Like the two volunteer teachers, Claire and Yves, that are here from Canada, giving their energy to help the girls catch up in reading.  They are angels!  All of you out there who bought dresses and bags this summer, thank you!  We are still running on those funds, but we need more for the next trimester of schooling.  As always, your donations are tax-deductible.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!  Join us in providing opportunities, you’ll be happy you did!  Wishing you much joy and inspiration this holiday season!

Thanks to the donations from Toubab Krewe and Craiggie Brewing in Asheville, NC, construction is underway on the Krewe School House  in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.  The community is delighted and grateful…as are we at Instruments4Africa.  Thank you, Toubab Krewe and Craiggie!!  Brick by brick…Stay posted.

Toubab Krewe, the vibrant Asheville, NC-based instrumental powerhouse, creates a sonic Pangaea that swirls together rock, African traditions, jam sensibilities, international folk strains and more. Toubab Krewe’s music carries echoes of African greats like Ali Farka Toure, Orchestra Baobab and Salif Keita, picked up during the group’s many visits to the Mother Continent to study and live in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali. We can’t wait to see you in Mali again!

Big thanks to the members of Toubab Krewe for supporting the arts in Mali and the education of young Malian people!

Sharrie Williams is fundraising through her website, www.maybellinebook.com, where you can pick up the #1 beach read, The Maybelline Story, along with a great beach bag. Than you, Sharrie!

I will be at Bikram Yoga Dallas for a fundraiser on Saturday, July 2. Thank you, Karen & David! Come by for a class and pick up your summer tote. The profits go to pay for school tuition, supplies and traditional arts training for the I4A girls. If you can’t make it contact me at info@instruments4africa.org to get your limited edition tote!