“Pont Des Martyrs” – Bamako
* Click on picture for full image
** Picture taken on Bamako’s “Pont Des Martyrs” (The Bridge of Martyrdom)
*** The Bridge crosses the Niger to connect the northern and southern parts of Bamako
**** It was officially commissioned in 1957, but was renamed in 1961 after Mali achieved its independance
Pick-Up Games by the Niger…
* Picture taken in Badalabougou (Bamako) close to the “Palais de la Culture” which is Mali’s most famous concert hall.
“You Got Me” by The Roots
It’s no secret that rappers just can’t make good love songs…lol. This is probably because the topic requires a willingness to “open up” and display a certain degree of vulnerability which to be fair, doesn’t always mix with the tough-guy personas out there. That being said, The Roots aren’t your average hiphop group and Black Thought, isn’t your average MC.
The “Grammy” awarded for “You Got Me” perhaps represents the only moment in the sun for a group that has always in my opinion, been grossly underrated. Their use of live instrumentation has always set them apart from the rest of the hip hop world, but the potency of Black Thought on the mic has kept them respected by their peers as a true hip hop entity and not some “alternative hiphop band”.
Here, Questlove’s stellar drumwork is accompanied by an infectious guitar loop as the backdrop to Black Thought’s narrative and Erykah Badu’s loving reassurances.
Perfect.
Title: You Got Me
Artist: The Roots
Album: Things Fall Apart, 1999
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Mali’s Informal Economy
I took this picture in downtown Bamako as snapshot of the country’s extremely active informal economy. With over 40% of the country’s population involved in the informal sector, its significance on the nation’s Gross National Income and overall economic health cannot be understated.
Advocates of informal sector activities would point to the creation of an economic activity for people who might otherwise be unemployed and without any source of income. While this may hold some validity, one must also take into consideration the “dark side” of the informal economy which can be especially exploitative for women and children by forcing them to accept lower than legal wages and by infringing on childrens’ access to education.
Although it may be unrealistic to expect the informal sector to be fully integrated into the formal economy, some middle-ground must be found with authorities to extend rights to those employed in this sector especially if it leads to less children on the streets and more in classrooms.
* Click on picture for full size/quality image
Ssidy is what my friends call me. I was born in Senegal of Malian parents (hence my Mali nationality). I grew up all over the place…Bamako, London, Accra, Cape Town, before I went to college in Miami and finally got a job in Sydney where I’ve been living since August 2008.
When I’m not working on The Timbuktu Project, or as a financial analyst (full-time), you can usually catch me somewhere on a football pitch or involved in anything music related. Music is everything to me. Whatever mood I am in, there is always a song that captures the moment perfectly. Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes around me will probably attest to this: I listen to all types of stuff.....possibly because no single genre holds enough songs to quench that musical thirst of mine... 