Niger River Music Festival - Mali, West Africa
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The current African music scene and the historical influence of African music on mainstream western rock, blues and jazz are self evident. West African music has taken the African music scene to new levels and in new directions. In conjunction with Radio Station 3PBS FM African Music host Stani Goma we have a tour programme rich in music and cultural history. Our next African music odyssey takes us to West Africa. The tour boasts a rich and diverse program that includes one of Africa’s great musical celebrations: the Festival on the Niger, from 17 to 19 February 2013 in Segou, which offers a unique spectacle of music and dance from the region, as well as well-known African artists and a visit to the magnificent Dogon country. Don’t miss this great opportunity to visit Mali, the home of many of Africa’s best loved musicians, from Wasulu songstress Oumou Sangare and the desert blues group Tinariwen, to acoustic blues sensation Bassekou Kouyate and other international stars including Salif Keita, Vieux Farka Toure and the fabulous Amadou & Mariam to name a few. The travel will be as comfortable as we can make it, but the roads are rough and facilities can be more simplistic than what you might have at home. It will be warm to hot, there will be dust. Although we will be in 4 wheel drives with guides, there will be some walking to access villages and some sites. Our Dogon Village stay is not hotel based, but the experiences leave most 5 star hotels at the starting line! You do not have to be a fit sports person, but you must be able to walk without difficulty, get down to ground level easily and be willing to sleep on a mattress on the ground for a few nights.
15 Feb: Arrival Bamako. Met and transferred to accommodation. At this stage we plan on using the Hotel Tamana. 16 Feb: Today we have a short introduction to Bamako itself then an excursion to Kéla to meet with the Griots (the storytellers). From Bamako to Kéla will take approximately 1.5 hours. Kéla is situated in the Manding area, once the centre of the Malian Empire. We walk through the village to meet the griots of Kéla, the Diabaté family. Under a mango trees the griots will tell the story of the famous king Soudiata Keita, the founder of the ancient Malian Empire, accompanied with music. The griots are the old ‘story tellers’. They keep history alive and still have an important position in Malian society. They are present on all important occasion, political as well as social happenings. Lunch at the village. 17 Feb: Today we leave Bamako and travel to Ségou for the festival. Accommodation at, or near the festival. From Bamako to Ségou is about 4 hours driving. Around 12 km before Ségou we can visit Ségou-koro, a small and still authentic Bambara village. Here is the tomb of the founder (Biton Coulibaly) of the Bambara kingdom from the 18th century. The festival site is alongside the river. 18 Feb: Day in Ségou - festival 19 Feb: Day in Ségou – festival 20 Feb: depart Ségou and travel to Djenné to experience market day. Note Markets start late here. Accommodation Hotel Campement Djenné. The following picture is of the market - doesn't get better than this, does it!! From Ségou to Djenné is about 5 driving. There is a possibility for a short visit to the old centre of San with its mosque. San also has a good restaurant for lunch, or you take sandwiches from Ségou for a picnic. Before we enter Djenné we cross the river Bani by a small ferry, which might take some time due to it being Monday! On Mondays there is a large market in Djenné. Markets do not begin early in Mali, because people have to come from far away. It can be nice to find a roof from which you can overlook Djenné and see the people leaving at the end of the afternoon, carrying their merchandise on the head or by ox and donkey carts.
21 Feb: We spend the day in Djenné and its surroundings. Djenné is called the most beautiful town in Africa, listed on the World Heritage List, and famous for its large mud-built mosque and beautiful banco houses. We take a guided walk through Djenné and visit Djenné-Djeno, the archaeological site of old Djenné (or the next morning). In the afternoon there will be a possibility to visit the Bozo village of Sirimou, the Fulani village Senossa or the Bambara village of Diabolo. Bozo are fishermen, Fulani herdsmen and Bambara are farmers. In the evening we plan for a music and dance performance by Fulani or Songhai. 22 Feb: Today introduces another highlight of this special programme. A chance to visit and stay in a Dogon village. The three day visit to Dogon Country is a very special opportunity. This is arranged by the owner of the vehicle company we are using as he is a Dogon himself. The guide will advise and lead you on walks that take you through the village environments. The vehicles will follow with the luggage – not on the walking route of course!
You will stay for 2 nights in an actual Dogon village. The conditions are very basic, but can be a great experience. Each village has a special courtyard for visitors (campement). The mud houses are often dusty and warm inside so it is usually more pleasant to sleep outside, on the roof of a house, or in the visitors courtyard under a mosquito net. Mosquito nets and mattresses are provided. A self standing lightweight tent can also be provided if desired. You can bring your own sleeping bag, but it is a better idea to bring light cotton sheets and blankets will be provided (carried from Bamako).
The toilets and washing area is a small walled building adjacent to house. You get a bucket with water to wash with. This is from the house well and not for drinking and brushing teeth. Bottled water is provided for this. More information about Dogon Life Culture and Villages Dogon Country is the area of the Dogon people who live in villages on the plateau, cliffs and plain of the, Falaise the Bandiagara; a 200 km long escarpment. Up to this day many Dogon people still follow their centuries old traditions. We start our visit to the Dogon area in Songo, ± 5 km before Bandiagara, known for its caves containing rock paintings. We continue to the larger village of Sangha, still on the plateau. It is another 45 km, but over a rather bad road, so it takes about one hours driving. After Sangha we descend the escarpment to Banani, by foot or by car. Banani has four neighbourhoods, built on the plateau, half way up and at the base of the escarpment. 23 Feb: Banani - Iréli - Tiréli mask dance Dogon. From Banani we plan to walk along the escarpment to Iréli, ± 4 km, on to Amani, ± 4 km and Tiréli, ± 4 km. Tiréli and Iréli are said to be the most picturesque villages. They are built up against the escarpment and you can see the old Tellem caves. Between Tiréli and Iréli lies Amani, with its small lake containing crocodiles - sacred animals for the Dogon people. Tiréli is also known for its mask dance and pottery. This is where we plan to witness a marsk dance. 24 Feb: From Tiréli we walk along the escarpment to Nombori (± 9 km), passing Komokani, Dyeli, Ynebere, Ydeli Na to Nombori, still an authentic village at the foot of the escarpment. From here you climb the escarpment to Dourou (± 7 km) witness the stunning view over the plains. In Dourou, known for the indigo clothes, the vehicles will wait to drive back to Bandiagara and then on to Mopti. We depart the Dogon area and travel via Tiréli, Dourou, Songo, Bandiagara to Mopti Our planned accommodation is the Hotel Yapasdeproblème 25 Feb: Mopti is a lively small town. It is like a peninsula where the Niger and Bani come together. We walk along the harbour visiting the market (Saturday is market day). There is a wharf where pinasses and pirogues are made. We also visit the old part of town, with its large mosque and the different neighbourhoods populated by Fulani, Bella, Bozo and Mossi peoples. In the afternoon we can take a trip by pinasse to a Bozo and Fullani village and in the evening there is a Fulani dance performance.
From Mopti to Teriya Bugu is about 4 hours driving. After San you follow a dirt road to the Bani river. Teriya Bugu has grown from a small fishing village on the shoref of the Bani to a centre of sustainable tourism. A local guide walks with you imparting the history and activities of this project. Accommodation Hotel Teriya Bugu
27 Feb: Day in Teriya Bugu and surroundings, stay in Hotel Teriya Bugu. Not far from Teriya Bugu there are several villages you can visit. In the pottery village the women of the co-op organize workshops to make our own pots using traditional Malian processes. Alternatively a neighbouring village provides the opportunity to weave straw fans or baskets. Teriya Bugu also has a nice garden with a pool! Teriya Bugu is a sustainable tourism project - www.teriyabugu.com/ A local guide takes you on a guided walk telling you about the history and activities of the project. You can also visit a small village in the neighborhood where the women make traditional pottery. You also have the chance to participate in a workshop 28 Feb: Today we depart Teriya Bugu and journey back to Bamako. From Teriya Bugu to Bamako is about 6 hours driving. 29 Feb: Day in Bamako – transfer to the airport, two day rooms in Hotel Tamana are held for the gruops use. Ideas for sightseeing Bamako: The recycling market, where scrap iron is fashioned into new utensils. A ride up hill, to have a nice few on Bamako. A visit to the national museum, Musée National, which is also a nice place for lunch. The big market, Grand Marché or Marché Rose, and the art and handicraft market, Artisanat, are both in the centre of town. Nearby are the fetish (the mind boggles!) stalls, opposite the large mosque and the Assemblée National. The local market, marché de Ngolonina, not far from Laico Hotel L’Amitié, also has a good art and handicraft section. In the evening transfer to the airport. Local Travelling Times Roads are not like what we have and therefore travel times are longer for the distance covered. Apart from the airport transfer vehicle all other driving is in a 4 wheel drive vehicle made for the local conditions.
From Bamako to Ségou is about 3,5 hours driving From Ségou to Teriya Bugu 2,5 hour From Ségou to Djenné about 3 – 3,5 hours From Ségou to Mopti ± 5 – 6 hours Bamako – Mopti ± 9 hours Mopti – Bandiagara is one hour Bandiagara – Sangha takes 1 to 1,5 hour (45 km but a very bad road) Bamako – Kéla ± 3 – 3,5 hour Bamako – Siby is one hour Getting to Bamako Mali. This can prove to be as exotic as the actual destination! We have not included airfares considering this will be a small group and people will want to do things before, or after Mali. There are a range of flight possibilities and in addition we do think it prudent to fly airlines in the region that have a reasonable 'record'! If travelling from Australia the routes showing promise at the moment are via Paris - yes a long trip, but good airlines and connestions. Then we have via Dubai to Casablanca and then on to Bamako - this has a long connection time at Casablanca. It is also possible to go via Singapore and Nairobi. Please call us to discuss this aspect of the travel plans. Visa A visa is requierd by most nationalities. We arrange the paperwork to allow a visa to be issued upon arrival at the airport. If you wish to have a visa issued before arrival there is a special visa courier service available to take your passport to Japan to have the visa issued. This will cost in the vacinity of AU$400 inclusive of the Malian Embassy costs. Weather Graph showing yearly weather pattern for Bamako. Medical You will need to contact a travel medical centre to obtain current advice. There will be a range of shots to have plus a malerial prevention programme I am sure! People behind and with your tour There are some interesting people connected to this tour. Current Prices - based on similar period in 2012, therfore estimated for 2013 We are working on a small group between 7 and 12. The price to be used for now is the cost based on 7 persons. If we get more there will be a rebate equal to the differentials evident from the following pricing table.
There is no cost for 8 persons as we have to change the vehicle size and cost. Security Todays world of travel is very different from some years back and each person must be satisfied that they are fully informed and based on information gathered from various sources, make their decission to travel or not. The most cautious approach is taken by the Australian government travel advisory (not just to Mali mind you) and we draw this to your attention; Travel Advisory. Locals (indigenous and expatriate) can have a different view. Included in this price is: Transfer from the airport to hotel in Bamako at arrival and vice versa at departure 12 Nights stay in hotel with breakfast, based on shared double rooms 2 Rooms for day use before departure to airport on last day Mineral water during the whole trip, 2 bottles per person per day Transport by 4-whd, airconditioned, inclusive costs of drivers, fuel and ferry Visits, inclusive tourist tax and local guides if necessary to: Siby, Ségou-koro, Djenné, Teriya Bugu Visit National Museum in Bamako Visit Kéla and meeting with griots, inclusive lunch Visit Siby with tourist tax and local guide Visits Ségou: Ségou-koro with tourist tax and local guide, bogolan studio, trip by pinasse to pottery village Visit Djenné with tourist tax and local guide, and Fulani plus Bozo village, local music performance Visit Dogon Country, with tourist tax and local guides if necessary, 2 nights stay in a Dogon village, meals from dinner on first day to lunch on third day, use of mosquito nets, tents and mattresses if required, mask dance Trip by pinasse in Mopti and Fulani dance Visit Teriya Bugu and pottery village Last day diner with local music performance Malian guide, English speaking, from arrival to departure
Not included is, extra costs are/might be: Meals and drinks, except mentioned otherwise (breakfast, lunch in Kéla and meals during Dogon trek) Entrance fees and local events International flight
Disclaimer Musicians are often away on tour and the music scene is constantly changing. It’s almost impossible to guarantee that a preferred style of music will definitely be accessed during the tour. We may have to change some aspects as we near departure. However, if you’re flexible and keep an open mind, you will be pleasantly surprised
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Niger River Music Festival Mali West Africa
Planned Itinerary 
26 Feb: 
To give you an idea of common travelling times:
