In Mali Blues, Belgian-born writer Lieve Joris travels to the West African countries of Senegal, Mauritania, and Mali--a region that to many Westerners seems obscure, even destitute and impoverished. Joris captures the strong will of West Africans, their enduring traditions and heritage, their thumping music, and their unmatched ability to carry on despite hardship and political turmoil. Joris's narrative is immediately captivating and personable; hers is an honest and inquisitive voice. At the journey's beginning in bustling Dakar, Senegal, on the Atlantic coast, Joris wonders, "How long would it take for New York to stop being a reference point for me?" As she absorbs the African cultural landscape, Joris exposes the tensions between a modern world and a traditional one, examining the many political battles among and within these countries. Like a skilled spelunker, Joris maneuvers into the caverns of the region, illuminating narrow conduits, previously unseen passages, and great rooms as she goes. She meets well-connected urbanites and those who live in remote rural lands, ultimately revealing a West Africa that balances, often precariously, between two worlds.
But it is when Joris meets the Malinese blues singer Boubacar Traoré that her storytelling talents become fully orchestrated and most powerfully applied. Traoré's successful yet tragic story serves as a stunning testament to the spirit and struggles of the people of West Africa, a story that Joris conveys so well throughout these pages. --Byron Ricks
