Tent Sessions Downloads

'Festival in the Desert -- The Tent Sessions' is an exclusive set of live 'field recordings' produced by Afropop Worldwide and only available here. This is the first time these artists have had recordings made available outside Mali. The Festival in the Desert held outside Timbuktu has become... Learn More »

'Festival in the Desert -- The Tent Sessions' is an exclusive set of live 'field recordings' produced by Afropop Worldwide and only available here. This is the first time these artists have had recordings made available outside Mali. The Festival in the Desert held outside Timbuktu has become the destination of choice for World Music cogniscenti. Initially conceived as a way for the nomadic Tuareg people to unite with their brethren who had been disbursed by a now resolved political upheaval, it has transformed into a splendid event; one that has attracted some of the best musicians that West Africa has to offer. In a joint production with Link TV, Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre of Afropop WorldWide sought out and filmed the spontaneous sessions that occurred in the tents peppering the sand dunes around the festival site. They caught extraordinary moments, music made by people whose names may be as yet unfamiliar to western ears, but whose voices and virtuosity are unforgettable. Highlights include Haira Arby a woman with a voice and heart as big as the desert where she was born, electric guitarist Lobi Traore who traveled many miles from his urban home to participate and absorb new sounds and experiences, and Baba Djire whose haunting tenor voice is pure pleasure. Even aficionados of world music will find the performances captured here to be rare and inspiring. From magnificent camel riders to enchanted lantern-lit sand dunes 'The Festival in the Desert; the Tent Sessions' captures the sights and sounds of the event so well that it is the next best thing to making the arduous journey one's self.
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