THANKS TO a thriving trade, the vast regions washed by the Niger River has for centuries been home to a remarkable hotchpotch of ethnic group and peoples, each as charismatic as they are different. Many have succeeded in preserving their ancient customs, a fact which is evident event even among the hustle and bustle of the region's principal cities such as Mopti or Bamako.

The Bambara, who live mainly in Bamako and Ségou, are the largest ethnic group in Mali. The chewer, a headdress carved from wood in the form of an antelope, is a fine example of their unique artistic abilities.

The Tuareg, the proud and mystical blue men (or" blue princes of the desert" - the dye from traditional clothing tints their skin), are concentrated mainly in the region around Timbuktu, remaining in constant contact with the desert from which they came.

The Dogon, on the other hand, settled in the isolated Bandigara Escarpment. Their customs and unique way of looking at the universe makes them one of the most fascinating and mysterious people on the planet.

Dogon villages hide the secret of their people behind a symbolism that is notoriously difficult to interpret and which and the meeting in the toguná or "house of the word".

The Bozos are master fishermen and those who best know the secret of the mighty Niger River.

The Peul, who are thought to be of Egyptian origin, are mainly livestock farmers but are, in fact, famed for the legendary beauty of their womenfolk.

The Songhai, descendant of the great fifteenth-century Songhai Empire, live in the region around Gao and engage in a wide range of trades.

All these peoples have their own individual history and character, although they are alike in the fact that they transmit their knowledge, wisdom and past through the oral tradition. By means of tales, myths, dances, songs and speech, the elders, who are always respected and dignified, reconstruct the history of their people, providing the younger generation with a solid base on which to build its future. As Hampate Ba, one of Mali's most gifted writers, once said: in Africa, "when an elder dies, a library burns down".

Witnessing one of these scenes in the improvised gatherings in the squares and open places of the towns and villages afford visitors a glimpse of the solemnity and significance of such events, even though they may not understand a word of the dialect in which they are expressed.

to return