In Lere, Mohamed Issa, from the group Tartit, arrives on the tail of a dust storm. He is here for one night, and then departing to play in a marriage “en brousse”. Accompanied by myself and Abou, a young apprentice, we play out by the tent until the early hours.
(I should note, for aspiring guitarists – often in the Tuareg guitar and Sori guitar, the first string is tuned up to G, and plays the continuous bass)
The next day, before the dust storm tears through the down, I ask the kids to play some songs. I sing a few too – lots of requests for Akon. Heads are appearing over the wall, and by the time the mother comes home, there’s a regular concert crowd gathered.