DJ, presenter and African music expert Rita Ray presents the eclectic music of the clubs and parties that were prolific at the time of the celebrated Malian photographer Malick Sidibé.
Created to coincide with our 2017 exhibition Malick Sidibé – The Eye of Modern Mali, Rita Ray selected tracks that have a particular resonance for her and discussed the stories behind some of Malick Sidibé’s iconic images, in this special recording live at Somerset House.
Sidibé is celebrated for his black-and-white images chronicling the lives and culture of the Malian capital, Bamako, in the wake of the country’s independence in 1960.
Ray created the evocative soundscape for the first solo exhibition of the late Malian photographer’s work, at Somerset House. The gallery soundtrack itself recreated the spirit and soul of the nightclubs Sidibé frequented every weekend and the party atmosphere of his own Studio Malick. The eclectic mix of music, which would have accompanied Sidibé’s photoshoots, spans British and American rock ‘n’ roll and pop songs to Malian roots music.
The exhibition presented 45 original prints from the 1960s and 1970s based around the themes of: Tiep à Bamako; Nightlife in Bamako; Au Fleuve Niger; Beside the Niger River and Le Studio / The Studio.
