This is by far one of my favourite event right after the holidays seasons. I couldn’t make it this year but wanted all of you to know about it.

Created in January 2001, the Festival Au Desert is held every year in Essakane, two hours from Timbuktu in Mali.

This festival seeks its origin in the big traditional Touareg festivities, as Takoubelt in Kidal and Temakannit in Timbuktu, which represented for a long time a place for decision making and exchange of information among the different communities. At the beginning, there were songs and touareg dances, poetries, camel rides and games.

Today, the Festival is opened to the external world and welcomes artists from other Malian regions, other African countries, but also from Europe and the rest of the world.

During three days, around 30 artistic groups are invited from all around the world to present their art.

Check out the official website:

http://www.festival-au-desert.org/

PLEASE DO ATTEND this true expression of ” African authenticity open to the world event “IN YEARS TO COME!

Aljazeera.net also just had an interesting show about it: