Translation by Tatiana Rucinska from original text by Mustapha Benfodil (LIBERTE, July 2005)
Mebarek Othmani, known as Othmane Baly or Bali, was born in 1953 in Djanet. Born into a family of musicians in the Tassili N'Ajjer, a mountainous region about 2000 km south-east of Algiers, he owes much to his mother Khadidja, herself a virtuoso on the imzad (the single-string violin of the desert). It was she who taught him his mother tongue, the language of music, which he embellished and propelled, leading him to become Algeria's most respected and loved Touareg composer, singer and oud player; the bard of the Saharan blues. He was also admired for his great sense of humour, his frankness, his exuberance and infectious joy for life.
I have been fortunate enough to experience the magic that is Baly's music on two occasions; both were concerts in London. I would always wonder, as he sat crossed-legged on the stage, dressed in the purest blue robes and surrounded by four generations of his family, what it felt like to come from the archetype that is the desert to the sprawling concrete metropolis that is London.
Baly perished during flash floods that took place in the Sahara during June 2005.
Whenever I hear the distinctive twang of his oud either on the radio or television, I feel his whole presence in that one resonating note, a presence that is still very much alive. Then his voice comes in, a warm, commanding and reassuring timbre. A magnetic quality. I feel I am being transported into a pure and true, noble yet humble place. And I cherish this feeling. Baly, you are still in our hearts and minds; we miss you very much.
Algerian record label Belda Diffusion have recently released a 3CD set. Another recording which features Baly and his family and is quoted as being “without doubt the best recording of traditional Touareg music ever released” is Ikewan: Touareg Memories (Long Distance, 2003).