(reviewed by Ann Onymous )
“I wouldn’t have missed my time in Mali for all the tea in the world.”
“Thinking of the three cups of tea: bitter as death, pleasant as life and sweet as love, makes me realize that all cultures have a bit of all three in them. There are some sweet and pleasant parts to life in Africa — mangos, sunshine, friendly smiles and wildlife. But there are also some nasty bitter ones, like corruption, malaria and violent elections. Britain too, has its good and bad sides. No one culture is perfect.”
This is just one lesson the author learns as a “toubab,” a “Westerner.” This “Westerner” is a
British ethnomusicologist with a young family that ventures to live in Mali for three years. This
is not their first trek living in an African country, but this book is certainly full of unusual
adventures. Not just snakes and mosquitoes, but cellular phone reception and power outages
prove a challenge as well.
Rob entertains us with his humorous stories. He tells of waterbeds, can openers and surnames. He travels by car, train, bus, camel and at one point is sitting on a motorbike, standing in a canoe, floating across a river. Rob meets people from around the world, crafting friendships and bonds that serve him well as an expatriate. His work finds him all across Mali, being taught about instruments unknown to many Westerners. Rob converses with various
citizens about relationships, health and animals. He is told that in Mali, Islam and music have
co-existed for many years without conflict. At the annual desert concert in Timbuktu he
experiences the sudden sandstorms that arise without any advanced notice. And equally
without warning, in April 2012, Mali is struck with political unrest: suddenly unsafe for all the
international visitors and Malians alike.
I recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the many different peoples,
cultures and music of Mali. I really enjoyed ‘hearing’ the Kora and other instruments unique to
Western Africa. Come, open this book, enjoy a good listen.
