in my country, senegal i have a special love of senegal, and maybe in mauritania, where we have many sections of nann k. but being a goodwill ambassador i think will help me open many more doors when i work in niger or some other country, and to count on different musicians who are really ready. i think most of these musicians will come from this part of africa. really want to make a change. we really want to participate, to bring back peace. because we all know that, without peace, we can t talk about development. we can t talk about sustainable living. we can t talk about africa being called the future to make it a reality. and we have to to do something. well, i m going to stop you there, because you ve just talked about making a better future for africa. and one thing one collaboration that intrigues me
connected via whatsapp and other thing and try to see what s going in their communities. but the more sceptical part of me would think, you know, because let us face it and we ill talk more about it later that where you are from, the sahel region, and the north of senegal, mauritania next door, these are places of real poverty where job opportunities are limited and where many young people on their phones, smartphones, are seeing aspirational lifestyles, economic opportunities in different parts of the world. as you ve just said, many of them then choose to act with their feet and they migrate and they try to find opportunity and wealth far, far away from their homeland. isn t the danger that unlike you, who always returns home, they will not return home? yes, it s a danger but at the same time, they are connected. i can tell you that there s kind of many groups of whatsapps are representing what used to happen in the villages before. families, friends, people who live in the same
there s a lot of violence. it s a lot of.people who really are going away from their home town, and that s not something that should happen on this region. this beautiful region of the sahel that represents a lot, in thousands of years for africa, to emancipate. but now, it s suffering. we need to rise up again all our voices. i mean, in all honesty, does it make much difference? you are appointed, i think, right now, it s about to be announced you re about to be appointed a new un goodwill ambassador, committing to tackling desertification and environmental degradation, which is a huge issue in northern senegal, across the sahel region one of the worst affected places by climate change already. does being a un goodwill ambassador make any difference? it will make a difference. it will, because with nann k i m just operating now
these people who are trying to find new elements, new things to feel on their skin or on their bone when they want to write songs. but at the same time, i always say that my goal is to take this african music and to show it to the rest of the world, that that is also their music, and this music also can bring something to learn from it, something to share in their life and to find solutions of their problems. well, i m delighted, baaba, that you mentioned the blues of the river festival, which is sort of created. it takes place in podor, your home town in northern senegal, which is quite remote but. very remote. ..many people want to be there every year. now, in your latest album being, you have a track freak out which actually includes some wonderful images of you being at the blues
like the internet to say what they want to say, you know? it s a way to listen to them. i want to quote you now words that i read in a music magazine profile of you where the reporter a guy called kevin perry he followed you back home as you were on a tour of villages in your home region in senegal, and he said this. he said, my impression of baaba is that, especially in the north of senegal, they see him as a prophet or something pretty much like that. it is crazy, said mr perry, crazy to see how much power baaba maal has but he uses it responsibly. more than a pop star, he is a statesman and ambassador for the fulani people. do you feel that immense sort of reach, influence, power that you have over