Music, identity and national cohesion in Mali: The role of music in the post-colonial era

Abstract

This article analyses the function music has played in the construction of identities in Mali, arguing that these constructions have directly impacted the process of national cohesion since independence in 1960. The link between this idea and the implications of the 2012 crisis-involving the prohibition of music under Shari'a law-will then be explored. The absence of music, a crucial mechanism for social cohesion, contributed to the complete breakdown of social relations and brought into question the concept of a "Malian" identity. Therefore, amidst ongoing Islamist activity, music's ability to reconstruct national cohesion has been impaired.