Mali 2002 » Mali

History of the Marka Masks of Mali West Africa

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:22:00 +0000

The masks of the Marka (a Mande subgroup) originated in the landlocked country of Mali, West Africa. Long ago masks such as the Marka were thought to be extremely powerful and had the ability to frighten away evil spirits, convey messages from the spirit world and cure illnesses. The Marka would perform ceremonies devoted to fishing and farming, and their stylized masks would be danced to invoke the spirits to grant the community with abundant agricultural yields and a successful fishing season.

The masks of the Marka are narrow and austere, with a sharp chin. They are brightly painted or coated with metal along with raised ornamentation, achieving a fine decorative effect that is very distinctive and different from most other African mask styles. The men of the Marka, clad in costumes of colorful cloth, always appear in pairs to represent man’s wooing of woman. The most characteristic deviation from the Bambara style is the cover of metal sheeting worked in conjunction with three metal bars attached to the forehead and red cotton at the end of each. The Marka society used this mask in two rituals, at the circumcision ceremony of adolescents, and when circumcised men advance from one grade to another. Along the Niger River the Marka used the masks in ceremonies related to fishing and farming.

This ethnic group is independent from the Bambara tribe but their styles show a strong Bambara influence. They live in the region that extends from the north of the Bambara to the Senegalese border. They live principally from agriculture with some subsidiary cattle rearing in the northern part of their territory. The dry savanna permits no more than a subsistence economy, and the soil produces, with some difficulty, millet, rice, and beans.

Fertility played an important role in African Agricultural ceremonies. They were based on the idea that through the correct rituals, man could raise up the vital forces dwelling in a mask by gaining the blessing of his ancestor in order to help fertility and therefore achieve protection and primary security. The Agricultural Festivities the Africans celebrated were performed at different stages of the crop cycle. This crop cycle started with clearing of the land, then the planting, the reaping of the fruits, the harvest and finally the filling of the food stores. The concept of these festivals was the sacredness of the soil, which belonged to the ancestors, or the “masters of the soil”. A successful harvest therefore depended on the thanksgiving of the ancestors or sometimes upon the good will of the goddess of the earth. African Masks

Best Adventure Holidays in Mali A stable country of famous history empires and seemingly...
The Top Ten Travel Sights of Africa It is difficult to list a top ten African travel...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Best Adventure Holidays in Mali

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:45:23 +0000

A stable country of famous history empires and seemingly endless deserts, Mali is on of West Africa’s most fascinating destinations. A land of contrasts, from the arid inhospitable deserts of the north to the green and tree-lined savannahs of the south, Mali offers a wealth of sites for adventure travellers. Despite its size, the highlights of Mali can be visited in a couple of weeks on of one many adventure holidays in Mali.

Adventure holidays in Mali range from cultural journeys to desert safaris and offer a fascinating insight to this often overlooked West African country. Some of the best adventure holidays in Mali are those that visit the infamous city of Timbuktu. Timbuktu is steeped in history and offers travellers architectural attractions that include exquisitely beautiful mosques and tombs that date to the medieval era. A visit here is often the highlight of any holiday in Mali.

However, other popular adventure holidays in Mali involve such activities as visiting the Dogon Country; a wilderness of rock, shrub, barren sands and traditional villages, camel riding, desert camping, attending cultural festivals like Essakane Festival, and enjoying a river cruise along the famous Nile from Mopti; an active river port town to Timbuktu; the renowned historic city.

It’s also possible to do an overland tour where you can combine a holiday in Mali with a holiday in countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Benin, Togo, Mauritania and Burkina Faso as well. This is the ultimate West African adventure.

Adventure holidays here are not as numerous as in other African destinations but your rewards for visiting this beautiful country will be huge.

History of the Marka Masks of Mali West Africa The masks of the Marka (a Mande subgroup) originated in...
Cinemas in Mali f you like to go to the cinema to see...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Cinemas in Mali

admin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:05:58 +0000

l Waiting

If you like to go to the cinema to see the latest films, there are a number of cinemas dotted around Bamako of varying degrees of comfort. Last week we went to see the new Harry Potter at the Babemba cinema here in Bamako. This cinema is a good option if you want to see one of the latest American/European films. It’s not far from the centre of town, near the French Cultural Centre so you should be able to get a taxi take you there easily. The seats are comfy, although you do tend to sink into them. It’s also air-conditioned. The films start in the big auditorium (500 seats) for the first week and then move to the little one (50 seats). They start from Tuesday at 9pm with the newest film. Wednesday has shows at 4pm (for kids) and 9pm; Thursday at 9pm; Friday at 4pm (kids,) 9pm, and 11pm; Saturday at 4pm, 6.30pm, 9pm, and 11pm; and Sunday at 4pm, 6.30pm, and 9pm. There are no shows on Mondays. They do produce a little booklet each month, but they’re rather rare and difficult to find. The costs range from 750cfa to 2,000cfa depending on the time of the showing.

In the Badalabougou area, the Palais de la Culture shows Malian cultural films from time to time. The upcoming films are shown on posters put up around town. Some of the hotels have their own cinemas. But bear in mind that there are very few English language films shown here.

The Hotel Amitié (Sofitel) shows regular French language films and, occasionally, English films. These are advertised in the Hotel foyer.

There are a large number of local cinemas. In the commercial quarter, there are the Club, the Vox, and the Rex cinemas. These show mostly French language films. In the Oulofobougou quarter, the Soudan Ciné and the Bademba cinemas show French films. In Médina, Coura the El Hilal and the Salle Omnisport also show films. In Lafiabougou, the Banankokou shows French films and in Badialan, the ABC shows French films.

One other option if you want to see English films is to go to the American Marine House on Friday nights. The films shown are of varying quality but they are advertised in The Griot, which is an email newsletter that the American Embassy sends out. If you register at the Embassy (if you are a USA citizen) you will be told about it. Non-Americans can go with American friends. These films start at 8pm and there are happy hour drinks from 6 to 7pm. There are lots of video shops around town where you can rent videos and DVDs. DVDs are always a good option because most of the French ones have an English option.

Best Adventure Holidays in Mali A stable country of famous history empires and seemingly...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.