Gallery: watching the Malian coup with the deposed president’s praise-singer

Read the full story of the griot and his deposed president here.

In the days after the coup, the wells seemed to be the only things working
Gaddafi was, in some parts of Mali at least, a respected figure
“In a moment, an announcement from the military”
Images of the coup leaders played on national TV
A child playing around in Bamako
Bassekou Kouyate’s signature smile
Touareg singer Khaira Arby
Khaira Arby
In the studio in Bamako
On the couch
Bassekou in classic pose
Election propaganda… from the US

[All pictures by Howard Bilerman]