Sometimes a song is worth a thousand speeches. To draw attention to the multifaceted crisis in the Sahel, artists from Mali, Niger and Senegal have collaborated with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to echo, in music, the situation in the region. . The Sahel Song, Where The song of the Sahel, is a vocal and instrumental composition that speaks of drought, conflicts and displacement of populations against the backdrop of images of smiling and happy children who embody the hope for a better future.
A song-message
“Our Sahel region is at the forefront of climate change, the crisis is disrupting the lives of millions of people.” These lyrics are signed Vieux Farka Touré, a committed Malian artist. Eight years after the release of his album My country“, in homage to Mali in full turmoil, here he is back on his land to challenge us this time on the crisis in the Sahel. The singer portrays reality without ever sinking into miserability.
Music is the best way to get messages across. Awakening the conscience is of capital importance. This has a strong impact on what is happening in our countries
Vieux Farka Touré, Malian artistat ONU INFO
A tribute to the resilience of populations
Other artists from Mali, such as the duo Amadou and Mariam, the group Songhoy Blues and Bassekou Kouyate or even the Nigerian group Tal National and the Senegalese singer Oumy Gueye have united their talents to tell the Sahel of today. This artistic meeting is a tribute to the resilience of populations and highlights the importance of solidarity and social cohesion. “so that happiness can return”, as the Malian artist Amadou specifies.
We wanted to tell people that we need to stand up and join hands so that the Sahel can move forward and make a difference.
Amadou and Mariam, duo of Malian artists
More than 5.5 million displaced
The central Sahel (Mali, Niger, Burkina) is facing one of the fastest growing humanitarian crises in the world. More than 5.5 million people have been displaced in this region, where half of the population is under 15, as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) points out.
In addition to insecurity and the proliferation of armed groups, the Sahel is threatened by the effects of climate change. More than 29 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. To date, only 30% of the $ 3.7 billion needed to meet the most urgent needs has been received.