West Africa has a rich and varied musical tradition, from ancient folk songs to modern pop. Traveling singers known as griots are very respected in Malian society and instruments like the kora, djembe, and ngoni form a tapestry of sound that beautifully conveys the rhythm and spirit of West Africa. Learn about Mali by immersing yourself in its musical traditions and learning to play some of the instruments that feature so largely in the country’s culture and history. This tour will include private instruction on the kora from one of its most famous artists, Toumane Diabate (or someone in his music collective if he is unavailable); the famous masked dance ceremony in Dogon Country; djembe lessons in Segou; and evening performances in Bamako’s popular nightclubs and a Tuareg camp in the Sahara! Finally, if she’s in town when you visit, you will get prime seat at a performance of famous Malian singer Oumou Sangare, the “Songbird of Wassalou.” Along the way, you will also see Mali’s most important cultural monuments, including the mud mosque in Djenne, the Bandiagara Escarpment, and the sandy streets of remote Timbuktu near the Sahara Desert. Additionally, we have arranged a number of exciting off-the-beaten-path experiences: a night under the stars on the rooftop of a local chief’s compound in Bandiagara and the opportunity to travel from Mopti to Timbuktu in a pinasse (the traditional boat of Mali) -- with two nights in tented camps on the banks of the Niger along the way!