Review: Dambé: The Mali Project (2/5)

Dambé: The Mali Project
(Dearbhla Glynn):
Liam Ó Maonlai, Paddy Keenan, Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabate, Ali Farka Touré.
Running time: 94 minutes

Irish musicians Liam Ó Maonlai and Paddy Keenan travel to Timbuktu for a jam. They also want to raise concerns about the Mali northern region facing rapid desertification due to climate change. This is part musical documentary, part travelogue, directed by Dearbhla Glynn.
Borders collapse when the lads whip out the whistle and bodhran. Ó Maonlai squeezes his eyes closed and plucks his harp; grannies with skin shrivelled like prunes become lithe dancers to Keenan’s low whistle. The Irishmen soak in the heat and the country’s folk music purity. They also hook up with musical legends Afel Bocoum, Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabate before reaching the remote Festival au Desert where they play crossover tribal céilí with Afel Bocoum.
The information is anecdotal. The cinematography, in a country coloured like sand, is transporting. The music is a rudimentary joy. But I can’t say the same for our two hosts.
The pair, decked out in local vestments and funny hats, look like wacky children’s TV presenters. The ridiculousness peaks when they sit atop a horse and cart and play O’Neill’s March to bemused locals going about their business. For years to come, the locals will talk about the day Timbuktu was invaded by the leprechauns. A dust devil of cynicism whips in your gut only for you to remember that the pair are trying to cleanse our despair.