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Festival sur le Niger, 2008, Segou, Mali.

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Saturday, February 02 2008

3 years, 6 months, 11 days

Segou, Mail

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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 56,608km

Trekking 335km

Ferry 1,514km

Train 238km

Other cars 43,399km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

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"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 > 20080202-segou

Salif Keita.

On universalmusic. Really we want more - now. M'bemba his last album was just out when I came to Mali for the first time 2 years ago. Since then how much have we listened to all of his albums? Days and days without ever changing. Moffou, Papa... But now we are longing for the greatest Salif ever produced. It seems though - that good things take time and we'll have keep waiting.

Salif Keita.
Salif Keita.
Salif Keita, Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Salif Keita.

Salif Keita, yellow fog, Mali.
Salif Keita, microphone, Segou, Mali.
Salif Keita, blue fog.
Salif Keita.
Salif Keita Festival sur le Niger, 2008.
Salif Keita 2008, Mali.
Salif Keita, Segou, Mali.
Salif Keita.
Salif Keita.
Salif Keita.
Festival sur le Niger, 2008.
Salif Keita crop face.
Salif Keita detail face.
Salif Keita face microphone.
Salif Keita reddish face, eyes closed.
Salif Keita crop.

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Bassékou Kouyaté.

2 years ago there were 300 pages on Google mentioning great Bassékou, today some 40.000. Well - BBC's Lucy Duran just announced it in Segou that with Segu Blue Bassékou Kouyaté won the BBC world music album of the year 2008 award. He truly deserves it. As for me I am still hunting this CD from the world's lead ngoni (mali-music) player here in Bamako, that made me dance on the Segou festival stage. (his myspace)

Bassekou Kouyate smiles.
Bassékou Kouyaté .
Bassekou Kouyate, Segou, Mali.
Bassékou Kouyaté .
Bassekou Kouyate.
Bassékou Kouyaté .
Amy Sacko, 2008, Segou, Mali.
Amy Sacko.
Amy Sacko full of white light in background.
Amy Sacko.
Amy Sacko, Bassekou Kouyate blurred.
Amy Sacko, Bassekou Kouyate in back Festival sur le Niger.
Ami Sacko, Bassekou Kouyate, Segou, Mali.
Amy Sacko, Bassekou Kouyate, Mali.
Tamani.

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Cheick-Tidiane Seck.

Official page (in French). This is hot groovy, rythme and jazz stuff with his distinctive screaming keyboards. And isn't he from Segou? His Manding roots and beautiful voice he brings into something else a lot more jazzed and funked up. He has played for some 30 years with the greatest in music like Hank Jones, Carlos Santana, Joe Zawinul and many others, often more in the back than in front. Until, until he signed with Universal in 2002. Seck also taught at the University of California - Los Angeles to teach "African music meets Jazz". There is a Bio in English on his page. As for me I keep dancing on stage.

Cheick-Tidiane Seck on the Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Cheick-Tidiane Seck.
Cheick-Tidiane Seck close.
Cheick-Tidiane Seck.
Cheick-Tidiane Seck.
Cheick-Tidiane Seck his keyboards synthesizer.
Cheik Tidiane Seck keyboards, 2008.
Cheik Tidiane Seck close up face magenta light.
Cheik Tidiane Seck synthesizer vituosi smiles.
Cheik Tidiane Seck synthesizer.
Cheik Tidiane Seck beautiful background singer yellow light.
Background vocals.

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Afel Bocoum.

Official page. Au nom du fleuve. In the name of the river Niger. Heir to Ali Farka Toure music.

Afel Bochoum on the Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Afel Bochoum.
Afel Bochoum behind microphone stands.
Afel Bochoum.
Afel Bochoum.
Afel Bochoum and red steel string guitar.
Afel Bochoum band, Callabash, Festival sur le Niger, Mali.
Callabash, Niger in big letters.
Callabash, Mali.
Afel Bochoum, co buddy on second guitar, Segou.
Afel Bochoum, buddy.
Afel Bochoum, buddy classical guitar.
Afel Bochoum, buddy.

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Les Espoirs de Coronthie.

Their myspace.

Les Espoirs de la Corontie from Guinea Conakry on the Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Les Espoirs de la Corontie.
Les Espoirs de la Corontie.
Les Espoirs de la Corontie Conakry, Callabash.
Les Espoirs de la Corontie.
Les Espoirs de la Corontie.

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Nainy Diabaté.

I saw her 2005 in Essaouira.

Naini or Nainy Diabate crop of larger picture, face, Segou, Mali.
Nainy Diabaté.
Naini Diabate on the Festival sur le Niger.
Nainy Diabate.
Naini Diabate.
Naini Diabate, Niger letters, 2008, Mali.

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Neba Solo.

nebasolo.net.

Neba Solo on the Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Neba Solo.
Neba Solo.
Neba Solo balafon.
Neba Solo grand balafon, Mali.
Neba Solo female Dancer on the Festival.
Danceuse.
Female dancer, Mali.
Female African dancer on the Festival sur le Niger.
Neba Solo female singer.
Neba Solo dancer singer.

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Yoro Diallo.

Yoro Diallo on the Festival sur le Niger, 2008, 4th edition, Segou, Mali.
Yoro Diallo.
Yoro Diallo, Mali.
Yoro Diallo, 2008, Segou, Mali.
Yoro Diallo.
Yoro Diallo.
Yoro Diallo.

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