Birds of Wasulu: Freedom of expression and expressions of freedom in the popular music of Southern Mali

Abstract

Wassoulou is a type of semi‐acoustic music that has been popular in Mali since the 1970s. This paper, an ethnography of wassoulou, traces its roots to the music of masquerade and the hunters’ traditions of the Wasulu region in the south, and explores the ways in which the cultural worlds of these traditions are evoked through the music. Wassoulou performers are called birds (kono) and occupy a social r61e that allows them to comment on social issues with impunity, with gender playing an important part

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