A competition where contestants perform a dance from a region that is not their own is helping to heal bitter divides in Mali. Sebastien Rieussec tells the story.
All 3,000 seats in the cavernous Palace of Culture in Bamako had been snapped up, and the mood was at fever pitch as the TV dance competition reached its climax.
The three finalists took to the floor one by one, dancing alongside a celebrity -- a format familiar to viewers of talent shows around the world.
But here's the difference: the three hopefuls each had to perform a traditional dance from a region of Mali that was not their own.
To outsiders, the format may seem odd -- rather as if, in France, one asked a Corsican to don Breton folk clothing and do a jig.
But in the landlocked Sahel state of Mali, the show has been a raging success.
And it has bred a desperately-needed sense of unity in a country burdened by jihadist violence and ethnic tensions... Keep reading on The Jakarta Post
All 3,000 seats in the cavernous Palace of Culture in Bamako had been snapped up, and the mood was at fever pitch as the TV dance competition reached its climax.
The three finalists took to the floor one by one, dancing alongside a celebrity -- a format familiar to viewers of talent shows around the world.
But here's the difference: the three hopefuls each had to perform a traditional dance from a region of Mali that was not their own.
To outsiders, the format may seem odd -- rather as if, in France, one asked a Corsican to don Breton folk clothing and do a jig.
But in the landlocked Sahel state of Mali, the show has been a raging success.
And it has bred a desperately-needed sense of unity in a country burdened by jihadist violence and ethnic tensions... Keep reading on The Jakarta Post