The Process of Making Bogolan(fini) Mud Cloth

[Kala]

http://homepage.mac.com/melissaender...s/bogolan.html

[media autostart]http://www.risc.org.uk/bogolan/Ali_Farka_Toure%20_Heygana.mp3[/media]
Ali is one of Mali's leading international music stars and an exponent of a form of traditional Malian music that is regarded as the root of contemporary Blues, Gospel and Soul. These sometimes haunting melodies and rythyms were exported to the americas via slavery and now permeate modern popular music.




Men weave the coarse fibers into narrow strips of cloth. The strips are then sewed together to achieve the desired width.


The narrow white cotton strips are gathered into rolls, awaiting the creative process to begin.





The plant and tree fibers, called changara and ingalama* are combined and boiled.




After receiving the initial dyeing from boiled crushed leaves, the prewashed/preshrunk cloth quickly dries in the hot Bamako sun. The dyeing is repeated a second time.


Gathered mud which has fermented in pots for a year is now ready to be applied, creating dark, black design. The area (often negative space) is first outlined in black mud with a brush, stick, or other tools. Then the inside is filled in with a larger utensil. Stencils are sometimes used. The material is then washed, removing excess mud.


After applying the second natural dye color, the cloth is once again drying in the sun



This Bambara widow applies a white paste, a mixture of local soap, barakatigi* and javel, bleaching the area white.


Finished bogolan cloth is displayed in the Dogon village of Endé


Finished bogolan wares for sale at the Widow's Cooperative in Salabougou, Bamako, Mali. Proceeds help support the widows and their children. The Association et Femmes Veuves et Enfants Désheriétes ("Widows and Deprived Children's Cooperative") has 5 employees and 40 active members to date.

[alvasakima]

This is crazily deep. This kind of post makes me proud to be an African. What language is Ali singing in and where can I get a copy of his music?