Tuareg women musicians with strange dancers, Timbuktu, Mali

In January, 2009, in a Touareg encampment outside Timbuktu, Mali, this troupe of drummers and singers, along with their sword dancers, invited Carolyn and Eli Newberger to join them in a lively and provocative dance. The day was unseasonably cold, and the Harmattan puffed on the irepressable ensemble. Note how one of the men, after offering his sword to his male guest, pulls a long dagger from his cloak and engages him in a polite duel. The guest considered and rejected the temptation to unsheath his Swiss Army knife from the holster on his belt, both for aesthetic reasons and to respect the time-honored definition of an American gentleman: "The man who knows how to play the banjo but refrains from doing so." Videography by Christraud Geary, Teele Curator of African and Oceanic Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
http://www.elinewberger.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tuareg
• Touareg
• Mali
• Timbuktu
• women drummers
• women singers
• sword dance
• Carolyn Newberger
• Eli Newberger

[KushaDwipa]

Looks like mostly typical Malian dancing to me.

[bnjmn0320]

It looks like Hunter S Thompson :)

[Romarinho89]

those kids will be talking bout that for the rest of their life awesome

[tribalrudolphe1]

Great video from a very interesting city in the middle of the desert, I have been to .

[isensysquick]

bueno



[sanasafi]

j aime ke dieu nous donne bcp d eau au mali et dè bon dirigeans

[principessa1984]

that's hilarious, lol...great video!

[christokirk]

this is called "takoba"

[asifnziz]

nice video !

[Axmedkoole]

Good culture study video.