Ngoni Master Bassekou Kouyate Returns With 'Desert Nianafing'

In anticipation of Festival au Desert, the Malian concert that will make its return in 2015, ngoni pioneer Bassekou Kouyateshares this new single and its accompanying video for "Desert Nianafing." Translating to "longing for the desert," the song arose from a sense of yearning for Kouyate. According to Outhere Records, the conflict in Northern Mali had reached a poignant apex where ethnic differences were seen as the cause, and Kouyate wanted to write a piece that both brought people together and honored the desert in general. Featuring vocalists/guitarists Ahmed Ag Kaedi, whose life was endangered during the crisis, andAfel Bocoum, a former collaborator of Ali Farka Toure, as well as Kouyate's wife Amy Sacko, the track is a slow-moving yarn of tumbling strings with Kouyate's ngoni mastery at its core. The visuals for the song compliment its warm, triumphant nature and show the artists playing in a town of smiling children amidst wide shots of the desert. Listen to "Desert Nianafing" and watch its video below. Find out more information about the upcoming Festival au Desert at their website.