We Can Talk Through Our Art: The Malian Festival Uniting The Sahels People

In a region fractured by jihadists and coups, SgouArt shows we share our culture, even if politics divides us A group of Tuareg musicians dressed in light blue robes were playing by a campfire that cast dancing shadows on the red sand. A drum and violin accompanied the electric guitars as more people came to watch the band, called Aitma. Every February, the city of Sgou, 140 miles 230km north of the capital, Bamako, is transformed into Malis cultural hub as tens of thousands of people come to enjoy a week-long arts and music festival, , on the banks of the Niger River.