Dear friends of the Festival au Désert,

“Until the music can return to its roots with freedom of expression and dignity, the Festival au Desert has become, a Festival in Exile.”

Dear friends of the Festival au Désert,

it's a great pleasure to inform you that the Freemuse Award has been given this year to the Festival au Désert "which in spite of extreme Islamists’ attempts to silence all music in Mali, defends freedom of musical expression and struggles to continue keeping music alive in the region".

The Freemuse Award is sponsored by the Björn Afzelius International Culture Foundation (BAIK). Björn Afzelius, who died in 1999, was a Swedish rock singer who became a passionate spokesman for suppressed people around the world combining his musical career with political activism.

It is the first time that the Freemuse Award is given to an organisation. The award is given to an individual or an organisation that “has worked for freedom of musical expression in a remarkable way”.

Dear friends of the Festival in the Desert,

As you are likely aware, Mali has entered a State of Emergency. This week, the Government has requested that we temporarily postpone the Sahel portion of the Festival, as insecurity in the region could jeopardize the safety of tourists, technicians, artists, journalists, etc. The February caravan in the Sahel will be postponed most likely until late fall, after the rainy season.

We are working diligently on these, as well as Festival-in-Exile international logistics, which will commence this spring. We will post more information on all of the above in a matter of weeks.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. We look forward to continuing our cultural movement of peace & tolerance with you.

The Organizing Committee.

AB25112012-festivalaudesert from braidens on Vimeo.