Virginia Friends of Mali

So much of what we share from Mali is music. From Lagos to Mali: Bantu goes on 5000km anti-war road trip Feb 15, 2017 • by IfeOluwa Nihinlola • Bantu , the 13-piece Afro-funk band led by the host of Lagos' Afropolitan Vibes, Ade Bantu , embarked on a grueling road trip from Africa's Big Apple to Mali for Festival sur le Niger earlier this month. The band undertook the 5 000km trip to be part of the festival's 13th edition and to make a statement against violence in war-torn Mali. "Someone asked me why we would go through all this stress for a festival in some remote place,” Ade Bantu said. “It’s simple, we were determined to show solidarity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Mali who have been battling with Islamist insurgency for years. This festival was important to help heal wounds and build bridges." ------------------------ And, apparently at this year's festival they used solar powered vehicles to transport musicians around the

Double Vision is the BHM’s first original exhibit and the first exhibition its new building. 37 works are on show spanning DePillars’ entire career 1964-2007. He was the star of VCU Arts, the Professor who made VCU No.1 in the nations for Arts. The selected pieces show his unique use of meaningful images and symbols. I looked at a pettern of bright colors, and I saw Chiwara and Kanaga and many other Malian masks staring back at me: some obvious, some subtly hidden in the design. Brilliant! His multifaceted paintings and pen drawings, cover themes such as the period of American slavery and the civil rights movement, as well as the African and Malian roots of American Black Culture. I was so happy Ana told me to go see the exhibit!

This video features sampling of the contemporary artist workshops now going on at the festival: visual, spoken word and music arts ... An ad for the festival, discusses the value of cultural celebrations ...