Festival in the Desert

The legendary Festival in the Desert first happened in Kidal in 1999. By 2003, when Afropop Worldwide attended, it was taking place in the middle of the Sahara in Essakane, outside of Timbuktu. It was a landmark year with members of the French band Lojo, prime movers for this festival, joined Robert Plant on stage. Afropop enjoyed a number of intimate "tent sessions" during the days and fantastic performance on the main stage at night. This program captures the magic of a hopeful time for the Tuareg people and the Malian north, one that seems far, far away today. Produced by Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow.