Currently in the works is an excellent film, They Will Have To Kill Us First, a documentary about the fight by Malian musicians against a ban against music imposed by Islamic extremists in the country last year, tracing Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar of the band Tartit, Toumani Diabate and his son Sidiki, Khaira Arby and Manny Ansar, the director of The Festival In The Desert in the battle to preserve their cultural heritage.
Say the film-makers: "Music is the beating heart of Malian culture. It is through music that Mali’s oral history, news and identity is shared. This is the only culture in the world to have a class of musicians in society – they are known as the Griots, and for centuries their culture has been passed equally from mother to daughter, father to son […] Despite the horror of the conflict, Malian musicians have chosen to stand up to the ban. Rather than lay down their instruments, the musicians have found their latent fighting spirit. Through their stories, we document the actions of a nation standing up for its cultural heritage and its right to sing. This is a story about the battle to save Mali."
They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to pay for two more filming trips, and are within arm’s reach of their target, having raised, at time of publishing, £28,489 of their £30,000 goal; we’d urge you to donate if you can, so head over to their Kickstarter page, and watch the trailer above.
