Virginia Friends of Mali

When "we" are house-bound with no internet connection anywhere "we" tend to turn to television for company, news, maybe some education and certainly entertainment. When our trip to Segou became a sojourn in Bamako we tended to be fixated on the news about the burgeoning crisis which we watched on France24 - the France-based French-language network that became my French CNN because I couldn't get the real CNN on my TV. ORTM - Mali's national television and radio network produced most of its programming in Bamanankan (Bambara), Kasonga (from the western Kayes region), and other Malian languages which I just couldn't identify. Two other networks, CANAL and TM2, were consistently on air. CANAL was an entertainment channel (movies, music videos, infotainement...). TM2 seemed to be feature a range of local and international serials, on travel, tourism, sit-coms, dramas and some news, but all Malian for African. After a couple of nights I found myself in a kin...

Mayor Ousmane Simaga interviews the Segou Peep This filmakers of "My Country My Cloth / Ne Ka Jamana, Ne Ka Fini" just after the world premiere which was held in in early January at Segou's city hall. The project was coordinated by Dr. Shawn Utsey, professor of psychology and chair of the department of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Click on the "Slideshows..." tab above to see more!

  dege!        ɲɛnajɛ!      fɛɛrɛ! Virginia Friends of Mali presents is annual Celebration of Mali Independence Day Please join us on Saturday, September 22nd for an afternoon and evening of learning, celebration and planning! Co-sponsored by the VCU Departments of World Studies and African American Studies this 2-part, multi-faceted program will offer bi-lingual - French : English - materials and presentations on the history, culture, music, social and political issues, and current events Part One: 1-4 pm in the VCU Commons Theatre Presentations on Malian history, culture and social issues in French and English by Dr. Patricia Cummins (World Studies) and Dr. Robin Poulton (VFOM and World Studies) for VFOM members and VCU faculty and students. Welcome by VCU College of Humanities Dean James Coleman. Part Two: 6-8 pm in the VCU Commons Virginia Salons A-D We are pleased to welcome a special presentation by the Malian Ambassado...