Blues man Markus James has been visiting Mali for years, exploring the relationships between its music and his beloved American Blues. In the language of the Songhai of northern Mali, a toubab is a white man.  When James visited Timbuktu to record and videotape songs, the resulting fusion was -- Timbuktoubab; a colorful, loving memoir of musical camaraderie and interchange between peers and paragons.  James’ warm relationship with calabash player Hamma, kamale n’goni player Hassi and njarka violin virtuoso Solo unfolds through anecdotes about the development of songs and videos. Parallels of legend and philosophy, as well as paths of divergence reveal themselves before the camera, offering a rare insight into the music and culture of Mali.

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