The Indigenous Nomads - A Mali Blues Peace Mission

(A Tribute to Ali Farka Touré and Ibrahim Hamma Dicko)

Ahmed Ag Kaedy (guitar)
Seydou Dicko (guitar)
Mahalmadane Abbanassa Traoré (calabash, drums)
Moïse Dembélé (bass guitar)
Hawa Touré Kuypers (guitar, piano)
... and some secret secrets

In this showcase, we present guitars and rhythms from northern Mali — Songhoy, Peulh and Tamasheq traditions — music that today survives largely in exile due to fundamentalist rebel activity in the region. We bring together a group of five musicians, four from Mali (originally from Kidal, Timbuktu, Gao and Bamako) and one from Amsterdam. Together they form: The Indigenous Nomads

Ahmed Ag Kaedy

Tamasheq - born in Kidal, northern Mali (now living as a refugee in Bamako). Ahmed is known as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. The music of Ali Farka Touré inspired him to become a musician. He is the founder and frontman of Amanar de Kidal, a group that blends traditional Tamasheq music with electric desert blues and contemporary rock influences. With his band, other projects and solo, he has performed at major international festivals, including Festival au Désert, Afrika Festival Hertme, Roskilde Festival, Womad and Le Guess Who. His lyrics often focus on peace, education, social justice, and the future of young people in northern Mali. Beyond his musical career, Ahmed Ag Kaedy gained international visibility through his appearance in the documentary film Mali Blues (2016), directed by Lutz Gregor. The film portrays Malian musicians during the period when music was banned in parts of northern Mali by extremist groups. His presence in the film highlights the role of music as cultural resistance and as a powerful expression of identity and resilience. Ahmed is proud to collaborate with the younger generation of Malian musicians.

Seydou Dicko

Peulh/Songhoy – born in Gao, northern Mali (now living in Bamako), guitarist and singer-songwriter. Seydou Dicko, the son of Ibrahim Hamma Dicko, a singer from Gao who gained international recognition in the 1990s, formed the band Tahaninte in Bamako. Their song Solane was released on the compilation album The Rough Guide to Mali Blues. Seydou has established himself in Bamako as music teacher and performing artist in Bamako. Seydou has produced one album in Mali and currently performs with his trio.

Mahalmadane Abbanassa Traoré

One of the finest drummers and calabash players from northern Mali's Timbuktu (now living in Bamako), a member of Amar de Kidal and recently touring in the UK with Afel Bocoum.

Moïse Dembélé

born 1997 in Bamako, on bass guitar, is a professionally trained Malian musician and cultural actor and a graduate of the Bamako Conservatory. He has performed at major festivals in Mali, Germany, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Raised in a supportive, music-loving family, he chose music early in life and views it as a discipline that combines theory and practice.

Hawa Touré Kuypers

Dutch/Songhoy – born in Amsterdam, with roots in Niafunké, northern Mali, a guitarist, pianist and composer. She began her musical journey on the violin and has been creating her own music for several years. Her father, Ali Farka Touré (who passed away in 2006), remains her great source of inspiration. She joins her friends from Mali with openness, respect and deep admiration for Mali Blues.