In Mali, music was once silenced by extremists, but some refused to stop. Now they are rebuilding, keeping traditional sounds alive, and helping the next generation rise through rhythm.
00:00music is everywhere in Mali except where it has been silenced in a country where extremists
00:17burn instruments and burned manuscripts some are now fighting back with music that's why
00:24you can't burn music anywhere it's not possible if there's no music we will kill ourselves for me
00:33music truly is something in our society Lamine Sumano teaches singing at a very special school
00:42founded by American educator Paul Chandler Instruments for Africa is a place where tradition
00:51meets resilience Paul Chandler arrived in Mali in 2003 he saw how conflict and globalization were
01:00eroding Mali's musical heritage so he founded this nonprofit school that blends storytelling
01:08rhythm and ceremony to preserve tradition and empower youth then came the 2012 coup I was in
01:17Bamako I felt like Mali really held together the cultural fabric of Mali is so strong it was this
01:26it was culture that kept people together that kept the country stable when extremists banned music in
01:35northern Mali artists fled culture was under siege but Paul and his team didn't stop they launched peace
01:44festivals in conflict zones using music to bring communities together you can tell someone not to
01:56play the guitar or not to sing I'm ready but even when you say Allah Akbar it's a song people ignore that
02:06Lamin teaches youth to sing to play and to understand music as a force for unity his method blends traditional
02:17learning with modern tools but always with purpose if okay we have to teach people in a good way all our
02:29music is about social cohesion it's educational the music we make Mali and music which represents many
02:41things in our culture the war the music and first and foremost music gives advice it builds the family the
02:50the family it's a few course we it can build a city it can build a country all the music for me Malian music is the blood we have in our veins so let the song down to
03:05the oven today instruments for Africa is a hub of creativity and resilience their programs fuse Western
03:14pedagogy with traditional methods youth learn to lead to heal and to tell their stories
03:22well I'm in the truth because I have loved the music the dance I've started to understand a lot of
03:34things this music gave us blues it gave us gospel it gave us jazz it gave us rock it gave us hip-hop
03:44all of this comes from traditional music in West Africa Mali and and Africa in Mali music doesn't just
03:52entertain it educates reconciles and preserves and through every beat instruments for Africa reminds us
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