Sun March 04 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Essakane/Tombouctou/Timbuktu Festival au désert, continued.

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Monday, January 16 2006

1 year, 5 month, 25 days

Essakane, Mali

Photography Blog

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 44,051km

Trekking 305km

Ferry 694km

Train 150km

Other cars 5.336km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

generizon. clean. sustainable. feasible.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > mali > 20060116-essakane-more

Where are we? Central Sub Saharan Africa.

Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
It happenes in Africa.
Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
Artists and Audience.

And people come from far.

That is what I like about festivals.

The mixture, blending of different nationalities, races, people, music. Each individual becomes an unobtrusive part of a greater whole. For a couple of days.

Empty stage in Essakane.
Stage for the Festival au désert..
Irish Folk band .
Irish Folk band Aiestar.
Artists and Audience, Tourists and Touareg.
Tourists and Tuareg.

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Tuareg gathering before sunset.

Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Festival au désert.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Gathering and show riding...
Touareg gathering on dromedaries.
their dromedaries.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries against the setting sun.
silhouetted ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries against the setting sun.
... against the setting sun.
Tuareg getting ready to ride.
Getting ready to ride.
Tuareg getting ready to ride.
Sent off ....
Tuareg getting sent off to ride one by one.
... one by one.
Tuareg getting sent off to ride one by one.
Ready?
Tuareg gathering on camels.
... then go and chase ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
... these tourists.
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Watch and be amused of what happens.

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The kids are alright

Tuareg children gathering on camels.
Children on the ...
Tuareg gathering on dromedaries.
Festival au désert.

Chase

Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
Chasing tourists ...
Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
... a fun game ...
Tuareg Chasing tourists ...
... for rider and dromedary.

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Scène Traditionelle, Touareg/Tuareg.

Traditional Touareg//Tuareg dance and musique performed by groups like Tamana and Tendé. (See a film.)

Tamana ...
Men relax, sing, and play ...
Tamana ...
Girls sit and dance ...
Tamana ...
Some just watch the show ...

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More from the concerts

Aiestar, Irish folk.

Aiestar, flute player
A bit worried when coming onto the stage.
Aiestar, flute player
Celtic and Irish ...
Aiestar, flute player
Pub feeling ....

"It took us three days to get here". She introduces the band. A long way from home. They received a warm welcome. And a bit of Irish pub feeling wants to disperse.

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Markus James and Tinariwen, desert Blues.

Tinariwen, guitar.
Markus James and Tinariwen, Njarka, one string fiddle.

Californian Markus James has been recording with Malian traditional Wassoulou and Songhai musicians for many years and it has won him wide acclaim.

Tinariwen (means empty places) is a band of Toaureg tribesmen, a guitar band formed in Algerian refugee camps.

Vocals alternate between Tamashek and English rendering a very special note. True cross-over. Wonderful.

More here, and here, and here, and Markus' remembering Ali. Interesting as well the Malian connection.

Markus James
Markus James, slide guitar.
Markus James
The sung language is Tamashek.
Tinariwen, guitar.
First Touareg guitar band (since 1982).

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Great Bassékou Kouyaté and American Leni Stern.

She is the target of ridicule, dedicates one song to Ali Farka Toure another one to the people of Touareg, a song that she calls Insha'Allah. She demands sympathy all too obvious when her guitar playing is just average and her songs flat. An embarrassment. Poor Bassékou. Guitar Player, Leni Stern's desert diary. PS. 200802. Her official page.

Bassékou Kouyaté (myspace) is the master of the ngoni/n'goni. And he has played it since he was a boy. "It was a toy for the children". Already his father was one of the best players around. Bassékou is passionate about promoting his mystical instrument. And he's played it with stars like Carlos Santana ... But read it all here.

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni
Ngoni player Bassékou Kouyaté, un des meilleurs.
Bassekou Kouyate
Bassékou plays with American guitarist ...
Bassekou Kouyate
She thinks she's oh so brilliant ...

Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
A great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
A desert voice. Beautiful.

Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.
Bassekou Kouyate singer with great voice.

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