Help Alkibar Junior bring music back to Niafounke

On December 25th, 2023, the band Alkibar Junior was en route to a nearby village for a wedding when armed Jihadists stopped their vehicle, took all of their musical equipment and burned it. “They threatened to kill us, and held us at gunpoint. They told us music was prohibited, and after taking everything, told us there would be no performance, and to return home,” says guitarist Amadou Bocoum.

Alkibar Junior is the town band of Niafounke, Mali playing in the style of Sonrai guitar, known abroad as “desert blues”. Formed in 2002, studying under the late Ali Farka Touré , they’ve kept his legacy alive, performing throughout the surrounding villages and countryside. In 2012, Northern Mali faced an unprecedented crisis from separatist rebellions, terrorism, and extreme radicalization. While many musicians abandoned the North for the capital of Bamako, Alkibar Junior remained as a beacon of hope, sharing the culture of Northern Mali in the face of these foreign threats.

This GoFundMe campaign is being set up to help them secure new musical equipment so they can perform again. They will use these funds to purchase equipment in Bamako, including guitars, amplifiers, microphones, and PAs. Music is how the musicians support their families, performing in weddings and baptisms. Alkibar Junior’s music is also a part of society, bringing joy, unity, and a sense of normalcy to the communities of the North. “Niafounke without music is hard to imagine,” Sekou says. “When we play music, people have a chance to forget the rebellion and have a moment of peace.”

Any support, however small, is greatly appreciated.

For more information about the band:

https://alkibar.bandcamp.com/music