Lutz Gregor’s Mali Blues examines that nation’s musical spirit through the wrenching experiences of four musicians. This laggardly paced documentary may make you feel heat-dazed, but the stories of guitarist/vocalist Fatoumata Diawara, guitarist Ahmed Ag Kaedi of the Tuareg group Amanar, anti-Islam rapper Master Soumy, and griot Bassekou Kouyaté (the Jimi Hendrix of the ngoni) will touch you deeply. We learn that music is not merely frivolous diversion for these individuals; it is crucial to their survival, identity, and the country’s cultural traditions—all of which have been threatened by the encroaching enforcement of Sharia law.
