Music is vital to political struggle across Africa – not just in Mali
Published in The Observer (27th January, 2013) At dinner last month after a concert by the Congolese rapper Baloji, I... Read Full Article
Mali
How the West misread Mali
Published in The Guardian (January 25th, 2013) For 10 months the collapse was largely ignored by the west. A country seen... Read Full Article
Musicians of Mali fight for their nation’s soul
Published in The Independent on Sunday (January 20th, 2013) The image of Mali has long been a gentle one. It... Read Full Article
Mali’s magical music
Published in The Guardian (January 18th, 2013) This week, the world has finally focused on the tragedy that has befallen... Read Full Article
Stop the march of these deadly extremists
Published in The Independent (January 14th, 2013) For centuries, Mopti has been one of the most important cities in the... Read Full Article
Africa’s Afghanistan
Published in The Spectator (July 13th, 2012) For centuries, the people of Timbuktu have sought guidance from their Sufi saints.... Read Full Article
Like Afghanistan, Mali is a victim of our ‘war on terror’
Published in The Independent (May 23rd, 2012) So now we know that Nato will bring its misguided campaign in Afghanistan... Read Full Article
Accidental coup has undone decades of steady progress
Published in The Independent (April 7th, 2012) Arriving in Timbuktu after a long, hot journey across the Sahara, you come... Read Full Article
The corrosive legacy of Live Aid
Published in the Daily Mail (June 4th, 2011) Like most people of my generation, I can still recall with utmost... Read Full Article
Journey into the beating heart of Africa
Published in The Independent (October 13th, 2006) We ducked into a covered alleyway, where two elderly men with grizzled beards,... Read Full Article