Mamane Barka

As a nomad of the toubou tribe, Mamane Barka is the indisputable son of the desert and the last master of the biram. He maintains the tradition single-handedly, bringing the five-string boat-shaped harp lute instrument of the Boudama fishing nomads to the world´s attention with his own unique blend of desert blues.

He came to the instrument by a circuitous route as he is a Toubou by birth, a son of the desert, discovering the instrument on a field trip. Concerned to learn its use was dying out he dedicated himself to preserving the tradition. He himself is a well known musician in Niger, famous for the many popular songs he composed in the eighties and nineties but today the biram is his life. He plays with Oumarou Adamou, a well known percussionist in Niger who plays three different traditional percussion styles during the show.

Mamane is a teacher by profession and exploits these skills to present fascinating workshops delving into the culture and history of Lake Tchad and the unique lifestyle of that region.