CULTURE
In spite of being one of the
poorest nations in the world, Mali has long functioned as a crossroads
between northern and western Africa and has developed a rich cultural
tradition. Situated between the Arab world to the north and the
black African nations to the south, it has for centuries been
a cultural meeting place. Music and dancing are the most common
cultural activities; they form an especially rich heritage among
the Malinke and Songhai peoples. The Bambara and the Voltaic groups
excel in the creation of wood carvings of masks, statues, stools,
and objects used in animist worship. The tiewara, or gazelle mask,
of the Bambara is remarkable for its fineness of line.
Architecture is well developed
in the Niger valley. The Sudanic style finds typical expression
in the storied houses and mosques of Djenné and Timbuktu.
Localized handicrafts include jewelry making by the Mandingo people,
leatherworking around the Niger Bend, the weaving of geometric
designs into cotton cloth, and the carving of statues for the
tourist trade. The Museum of the Institute of Research and Documentation
at Bamako contains collections of art from most of the country's
regions. The National Archives of Mali, the National Library,
and the Institute of Human Sciences are also located in Bamako,
as is the Municipal Library. The Centre of Arab Documentation
is located in Timbuktu, and there is a French Centre of Documentation
in Bamako. The Library of the Office of Niger in Ségou
covers agriculture, irrigation, and general science.
The government promotes popular
culture principally through the Committee of Youth and Sports.
Youth associations organize sports, theatrical, musical, and dancing
activities. Competitions are presented in Bamako during the biennial
Youth Week. The Malian Ballet Troupe performs throughout the world.
Artists are trained both at the National Institute of Arts and
at the Artisan Centre of Bamako. Mali's one newspaper, L'Essor,
is published by the UDPM and is far less effective in disseminating
information than is the radio, not least because its circulation
is limited to the literate and effectively to Bamako. There are
two cultural journals of note—the first, Sunjata (“Lord
Lion,” leader in the ancient empire of Mali), is produced
by the government, while the second, Jamana (“The Nation”),
is independent.
