From Boston to Timbuktu by Sean Carberry One of the many CDs I received last fall was "The Radio Tisdas Sessions" by the band Tinariwen. I had never heard of them, so I opened up the press kit and read about their storied past and listened to their exotic music. I called their publicist to find out if they were coming through Boston, only to learn that no one in the band speaks English. I was about to toss the materials, when I saw a page describing "The Festival of the Desert, 2003." I read on to learn of the third annual music festival in Mali, West Africa. The festival would take place in Essakane, a remote (even by Malian standards) location in the southern Sahara near Timbuktu. I'll confess, I had no idea where Timbuktu was until that moment, and I did have to look at a map to figure out exactly where Mali was too. But unlike most Americans today, I could actually find a map. Anyhow, the festival came together as a variety of people and forces converged. Mali had long been fighting with the Tamashek or Touareg people-bedouins that once roamed and ruled the Sahara until the French came along and screwed up, I mean, colonized the region in the late 19th century, and in the process ravaged the Touareg population. Armed conflict continued until 1996 when the Touaregs and the Malian army came to terms. The Touaregs burned their weapons in a ceremonial "Flame of Peace" in Timbuktu, and later the charred arms were cast into cement as part of a monument-having now seen the monument, I can honestly say it is the most powerful symbol of peace I have ever seen. Although the hostilities ended (for the most part, there are still periodic skirmishes in remote areas), a new challenge emerged-reintegrating thousands of Touaregs into Mali and surrounding nations. Large gatherings are a Touareg ritual, and The Festival of the Desert plays right into that tradition. The festival allows Touaregs from all over to come together and share their culture-dance, music, arts, sword fighting, and camel racing, among other activities. The festival also serves as a form of cultural outreach for Mali, and it is also an important part of the socio-economic development needed in the region. There is a certain incongruity in holding a cultural outreach event in one of the more remote areas on earth, but that just adds to the romance and the reward of attending. Anyhow, I was immediately captivated by the notion of spending three days in the Sahara at a music festival featuring celebrated artists from Mali and other African nations-plus a handful of western artists. I made a few phone calls (one in particular to my wife), and by the end of the next day we were booked on our trip to the festival. We spent the next few months researching the country, the people, the festival, and the required shots. After making the people at REI and Eastern Mountain Sports rather happy, we packed our bags and hit the road. First we flew to Paris, since there aren't too many flights from Boston to Mopti, Mali. Of course, during our two day stay in Paris I came down with bronchitis, which added an unnecessary drama to my week in a nation where most people don't have electricity and running water, let alone professional medical care. We arrived in Mopti on the morning of January 3, met up with the folks from Touareg Tours, and we hit the road to Timbuktu via Dogon Country-thus setting in motion a week that will influence the rest of my life, and I hope also further the cause of Mali, the Tamashek people, and world music in general. I'd like to thank and acknowledge a few people instrumental in organizing the festival and making our trip as enjoyable as it was. Justin Adams, Philippe Brix, Rene Goiffon with Harmonia Mundi, Patrick de Groote and everyone at SFinks, Hamou and Touareg Tours, Lo'Jo, Andy Morgan, Ali Napo, Jean Paul Romann, Blackfire, Dmitri Vietze at Rock Paper Scissors, my fellow travelers: the Touareg Tours "Option 2" group, and of course, Robert Plant for being the only rock star cool enough to trek out to the middle of nowhere with the rest of us.