Source: “Griot Basimana with guitar, Mali,” a photograph by Marli Shamir, taken in 1970 (Marli Shamir Collection, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution)
Marli Shamir’s description of this photograph: “Republic of Mali, Griot Basimana, he was born blind with guitare from calabash (famous griot (= balade singer) for his rebellish songs before independance. But he remained a rebell and continued to sing accordingly after indenpendance. Therefore the first President of Mali, Bodibokeita forbade his songs to be heard in the radio. 1969, after the coup d'Etat. Modibokeita was arrested and Radio-Mali gave nothing else for the first day then the songs of Basima. So in the whole of Mali without a word, everybody knew that governement has changed.”