Little by little the bird is building his nest.
Adama Yalomba is back from Germany where he took part in the festival "International Africa Festival" in Wuerzburg, from May 27 to June 3, 2003. This festival as its name indicates, has united almost all of the stars of African music. By the sides of Salif Keïta, Alpha Blondy and others, tom thumb "Adama Yalomba" made a sensational entry on the international scene. He had already shown his ambitions during his unforgettable spectacles in France and in Malaysia.

Speech for the defence of a cultural centre
After a vibrant tribute to Tata Diakité, the artist of the Wassoulou are more than ever mobilised for the project de (developing of Wassoulou region). For this cause, they gave concerts in Sikasso and Koutiala on June 13 and 14, 2003 , Ségou on June 28, 2003 at the stadium Amary Daou. The collected funds will be used to finance the building of a cultural centre in the Wassoulou.
A noble initiative that merits to be encouraged when one knows that only Bamako, Kayes, Sikasso and Ségou have such infrastructures. If the building of this centre occurs, it will permit not only to help emerging talents of Wassoulou but also to receive cultural manifestations at the size of the talent of the artists who will animate those concerts: Djénéba Diakité, Oumou Sangaré, Djagbawara Sali, Sali Sidibé, Les Soeurs Sidibé (the Sidibé sisters), Yoro Diallo, Seydou Camara, Mamou Sidibé, Souley Kanté and … Djos Samaké.

Baptism !
It's confirmed! Following the music feast, the lady of the Bélédougou, Rokia Traoré and her band, will animate two concerts in Bamako on next June 26 and 27. This concert which will be a foretaste of their Mali tour (postponed to October because of raining season) will take place at the cinema Babemba (on June 26) and the hall Bazoumana Sissoko of the cultural palace (on June 27, 2003). From a reliable source, we heard that the contract for the acquisition of a very good PA system from Burkina Faso was signed. Only the foreign artists who come to play in Mali have this advantage, now things must change. "The Malian artists should have the same treatment as those who come from foreign countries" said the same source.

The stickers in Mali, an effectiveness to be proved
June 20, 2002 - June 20, 2003! Already one year that the Malian office of copyright (BUMDA) made it obligatory to put stickers one all the tapes that are in sale in the republic of Mali. This operation was supposed to ensure a better protection of the legal works; because the sticker is the best mean for the time being to authenticate the legal status of a work of music and art. It allows for example to make the difference between a legal tape from a pirate copy.

But this operation that have aroused a lot of hope is today seen as a failure by almost all of the producers because it effectiveness is to be proved. And this for several reasons. The sticker has not reduced the scale the scourge of piracy has taken last past years in our country. One year after the launching of this operation by the BUMDA, the market of music is occupied at 90% by the pirate copies sellers. The itinerant tape sellers are multiplying in our towns. Unfortunately the musical products they are selling are constituted of pirate copy of CDs and tapes from 90 to 95%.
Enjoy yourself by doing this exercise and you'll be very surprised. The phenomena is not visible only in the capital. We have led inquiries in villages such as Sikasso, Koury, Koutiala, Kadiolo, Ouélésségougou, Fana, Ségou, etc. In this localities are almost only sold pirate copies. The acquisition of a stickers' machine has been a decisive step in the struggle against piracy. It follows that the authorities wanted to help the artists to defend their rights. Unfortunately the stickers have not had the promotion expected of the BUMDA. This operation was promoted only by the producers and distributors. It should have been accompanied by more information and above all more public awareness campaign.

As was recently saying the singer Mamou Sidibé, "the sticker is an effective mean to struggle against piracy if it is accompanied by a public awareness campaign which attitude is essential to the success of this fight. We must lead them to identify the sticker, inform them about the loss sustained by artists when they buy tapes with no stickers on them…"

Those aspect should be a priority for the BUMDA today. All the more so since in those villages where we did our inquiries, more of half of the population doesn't make the difference between a legal tape and his pirate copy. The only determining element becomes the price. And by this game, legal tapes cannot support the competition. More over, they don't know that by buying pirate copies, they condemn their favourite artist to misery , that they break emerging talents and harm to the blooming of Malian music…

Only information and public awareness campaign allow the population to control those data's. And when they will understand that they choice is maybe determining in the struggle against piracy, the sticker will produce the effectiveness expected.
Black Jacques and King Mosseto

The damned of piracy
Life is the sum of several morning made of ups and downs. But the ones who are gifted by nature are supposed to leave of their art and know-how. Unless there is a curse. Famoukar wasn't damned, but he didn't have this privilege. He didn't took advantage of this natural fact.

But, in this country, who haven't been moved by the nasal voice of this artist full of talent? Who resisted the entrancing and authentic melody of this genius? Who didn't roll on the ground of laugh because of his caustic and satirical humour? Because rare are the artists who can pride themselves on having as much success as Famoukar. Author-composer, singer, arranger, guitar player, actor… the gifted was all at the same time. He was excellent in all the domains of art because he was born artist. We then understand why all of his works have met a phenomenal success.

Unfortunately, this huge success has not serve him because an artist can not leave only on success. Even if the sale of his legal works is not well done. The fans of Famoukar didn't give him this vital opportunity. Thus he died in poverty. Because in reality, he had very few real fans. All the ones who pretend to admire him were only players because they were all buying pirate copies which were cheaper. They have never take care about the conditions of life of the artist. For them, the essential was to listen to his music, even with a very bad sound.
Famoukar spent all his life working for piracy with our complicity. By buying pirate works (tapes and CDs), it's as if we have handed over our idol feet and fists tied up to his enemies. We condemned him to misery so that he died In loneliness, exclusion and indifference without realising his artistic ambitions and social projects.

And the worth is that his family dislocated after his funerals. Some of his children became beggars, some drug addicts, alcoholics, and delinquents…in sum outcasts.
Fortunately there is one who tries to perpetuate the father's memory by taking after him in music: Jurutien. Like the father, the child is full of talent. But we know now that it doesn't grant artistic success or social achievement.
Are we going to accept Jurutien to be condemned to the same fate as his father? Are we able to take the responsibility of seeing him rejoin the great quantity of the damned of piracy? We like our music and our country for that. We are proud of our artists to abandon them in the claw of piracy.
Let's every one do his duty for Jurutien and the other artists.
King Mosseto