Damon Albarn Made "Local King" in Mali
Photo by Debbie Hickey/Getty Images
Damon Albarn has long supported the West African country of Mali. In 2002, he released Mali Music, a collaboration with local musicians. He’s also released two albums (2013′s Maison Des Jeunes and 2015′s In C Mali) with Africa Express, another ongoing collaboration with Mali musicians. Earlier this month, he performed in the country at the Festival Acoustik Bamako in Mali, despite a declared state of emergency. In honor of his contributions, Albarn has been given the status of “local king” in Mali, according to a BBC Radio 4 report. Listen to the full report below.
In addition to his new status, a classroom was named after Albarn and he was given a new Mali name. When asked what the honor means to him, Albarn said, “I’m not used to this sort of thing, but it’s fantastic to see this classroom. And it’s a school dedicated to music and dance. That’s where my heart is, so my heart is here.”
Albarn’s band Blur released The Magic Whip last year. His last solo record is 2014′s Everyday Robots.
Read our interview with Damon Albarn.
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