Dambé: The Mali Project

Dambé: The Mali Project
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Dearbhla Glynn
Produced by	Vanessa Gildea
Starring	Liam Ó Maonlaí Paddy Keenan Afel Bocoum and Alkibar Toumani Diabaté Ali Farka Touré Sally'Ag Wantifout Tartit Tinariwen
Music by	Liam Ó Maonlaí Paddy Keenan Afel Bocoum and Alkibar Toumani Diabaté Ali Farka Touré Sally'Ag Wantifout Tartit Tinariwen
Cinematography	Paddy Jordan Dearbhla Glynn
Editing by	Jim Bruce
Running time	94 minutes
Country	Ireland
Language	English French Irish

Dambé: The Mali Project is a documentary film directed by Dearbhla Glynn, and produced by Vanessa Gildea. The film documents Irish musicians Liam Ó Maonlaí and Paddy Keenan embarking on a musical adventure to the Heart of Africa; Mali. Travelling over 3,000 miles they meet and collaborate with everyone from musicians (Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté) to Nomadic Herders, culminating in a unique performance at the world’s most remote musical festival; The ‘Festival au Désert’. The film premiered on the 16th of February, 2008, at the 2008 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.^[1] The film was described as "Engrossing, visually rich and surprisingly moving" by Paul Whitington in the Irish Independent,^[2] and "A unique work, which is well-told and unexpectedly moving in parts" by Steve Cummins of RTÉ.^[3]

Synopsis

The film follows Irish musicians Irish musicians Liam Ó Maonlaí (The Hothouse Flowers) and Paddy Keenan (Uilleann pipes player from The Bothy Band), who was raised in the traveller community, on a journey covering thousands of miles from Bamako in the south to Timbuktu, from where they enter the Sahara.

Their journey takes them along the river Niger, stopping in villages and river towns such as Mopti and Djenné, playing instruments such as the harp, Bodhrán, whistles and Uillean pipes with local musicians including Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté, Tinariwen, and Tartit. The film highlights the many similarities between Malian and Irish music, including circular repetitive rhythms, similar instruments (i.e. the Kora and the Harp, the Gourd and the Bodhrán) and a similar style of singing (Griot & Sean Nós).

Their ultimate destination is Essakane, 90km outside of Timbuktu, where they performed to an audience of thousands of Tuareg at the world's most remote music festival, Festival au Désert.

References

1. ^ "DAMBÉ-The Mali Project Opens for an Exclusive Limited Engagement at Light House Cinema", Irish Film Board, 25 July 2008
2. ^ Witington, Paul (2008) "Dambe: The Mali Project", Irish Independent, 25 July 2008
3. ^ Cummins, Steve (2008) "Dambé: The Mali Project", RTÉ

External links

• Dambé: The Mali Project Official website
• Dambé: The Mali Project at the Internet Movie Database