Oumou Sangaré – Ian Birrell

Troubled republic must search its revolutionary soul

Published by The i paper (3rd July, 2023) In 2009, Africa Express, the collaborative music project I co-founded, held a show in the centre of Paris. So as […]

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 found myself sitting next to his drummer, Saidou […]

Songs of freedom

Published in The Independent (January 18th, 2004) The full moon was bathing the Saharan dunes in light as a middle -aged blind woman with two-tone braided hair and […]