Visual Art

From the 14th to 17th centuries, Mali prospered as the centre of learning and culture in West Africa. There is a rich visual arts tradition, the powerful vitality and strikingly deformed shapes of Malian sculpture having impacted hugely on contemporary European art. This visual arts tradition is passed on in the home, the studio, and at art school, while collectives of craftspeople from the various ethnic groups work professionally to make such items as textiles, sculptures and unglazed earthenware. The traditional visual arts, in which a division of labour between men and women is widely evident in the production process, have been heavily influenced by the changing times. New visual art forms are now emerging as a result of contact with foreign cultures through imported goods and television.

The humorous style exhibited in the paintings and murals that advertise local hairdressers, rotisseries and bars lends them a most distinctive air. Accessories and cloth dyed in a variety of colours abound, while there are many flamboyant styles in women's clothing, made from brightly coloured cloth in primary colours and looking very stylish. At the Maison des Artisans arts and crafts shopping district in the capital Bamako are sold indigo and mud dyed cloth, wood carvings, gold and silver work, and ethnic musical instruments, all of which have been handmade my craftspeople who have received specialized arts training at the National Institute of Art.

Music

Malians love to dance, and not only at festivals and celebrations. Anytime there is a gathering and the mood is right, people will immediately start dancing. While mask dances are performed as traditional events, dance parties and the like are organized within families and neighborhoods as part of daily life.

Dancing requires songs and musical instruments, though not just anyone can perform this role, which is again the station of the griots. In Mali it is considered shameful for anyone other a griot to sing, and music class is not part of school curriculums.

Before the advent of writing, the griots were storytellers who used music to recount history. Their narrating of the history of extended families is hereditary and carried on throughout the generations. They will always be asked to perform at festivities held by the head family, where they sing songs praising the family's ancestors and the head of the family. For their singing they receive money, houses, cars and other huge remunerations.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, traditional music, negated during the colonial period, was performed using contemporary musical instruments, and became popular music. Its popularity is reflected in the appearance of musicians such as Salif Keita (unusually a musician not of griot heritage) and Mory Kante, having huge hits in Europe. The music of these musicians, incorporating arrangements of traditional music, is full of variety, from leisurely pieces sung in a smooth voice to those whose lively rhythm makes one want to dance, and appeals also to the foreign ear. Griots have always sung about history and family doctrines. Thus many of the lyrics of contemporary popular music that employ ethnic words contain phrases praising the kings of ancient kingdoms or are exceedingly moralistic in tone, reminding one to always respect one's superiors or that greed is wrong. Nevertheless, all Malians, irrespective of age or sex, are fond of griot music, and griot music forms an indispensable part of Malian life.
In recent years, it has become possible to find CDs of Malian music countries outside Africa. Musicians in the vanguard of Malian popular music have also visited Japan to hold concerts, Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate etc. having done so on a number of occasions. Many Malians enjoy the music as music, rather than to listen to moralizing lyrics.

Festivals

In Mali, festival events are frequently held according to the seasons, ethnic customs, and myths specific to the different regions. While many are not open to the public, there also exist numerous festivals that people from outside can experience. Such well known festivals as the Sigui and Azalai have tended to be popular with tourists in recent years, due to the perception that the true culture of Mali's diverse ethnic groups can be experienced by observing ethnic events such as these. In the future, it is anticipated that visitors to Mali will be able to partake in a variety of other cultural experiences. The existence in Mali of historical remains and animals not found in other African countries, presents the opportunity for ecotourism that makes the most of such features.

Dogon mask festivals

The Dogon people, living on a huge escarpment in the Bandiagara area of central Mali, are known for their myths, cosmology, and mask dances. The Dogon recreate the large-scale view of the universe and mythology passed down from their ancestors through mask dances performed at funeral ceremonies, the Sigui festival held every sixty years, and the Dama ceremony held once every twelve years to worship the spirits of their ancestors.During the Dama ceremony, the men retreat into caves to mourn the souls of those who have died in the past twelve years, where they make masks. The souls of the dead are said to reside in the masks, giving them the power to ward off evil spirits. For five days, men wearing these masks stage performances, having run down narrow paths from the cliff tops. The ceremony features sirige masks that bind the spiritual world with the world of the living, and masks symbolizing Amma the god of creation. Water buffalo and hyena masks appear toward the end of the ceremony to tell the Dogon's future. After the ceremony, the souls of the dead are recognized as ancestors protecting the Dogon.

Deegal (Cattle crossing festival)

Every year an enormous festival accompanying the crossing of the cattle is held in the villages of the Fulani of Mopti. This festival celebrates the return of the herders who set out to drive their cattle across the Sahel. According to Fulani custom, young men spend a year away from their village herding cattle, and on their return they report their experiences. The evaluation of these reports has great bearing on the subsequent position of these young men in village life. This festival is also of great interest to prospective wives. On the day that the men return, the whole village is in festival mode from morning till night. There is eating, singing and dancing, and the air pulses with energy of people interacting. For the young Fulani men it is an honor to participate in the herding, this being one of the "rites of passage" to attaining manhood.

Other Festivals

Crepissage de la grande mosquee de Djenne

Sogo Bo de Markala

Deegal

Sigui

Sogolon sortie de marionnettes de Kayes

Nugu Mô

Dama du pays Dogon

Mariage de Banamba

Biré [hangar]

Refection du toit de la case sacrée de Kangaba

Karosotigui

Koré

Manian

N'Koson

Tiéblétié

Diarawara

Dialloubé

Takoubelt

Temakanite de Tombouctou