BANTU, the 13 piece band led by Afropolitan Vibes co-creator, Ade Bantu, recently completed a 5000KM road trip from Lagos to Mali.
The group had been invited to perform at the 13th edition of the Segou Festival which holds annually by the banks of the river Niger in Mali.
There they shared the stage with other notable African acts such as Malian superstar Salif Keita, Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi and the world famous Ali Farka Toure Band.
BANTU did not disappoint as they entertained with a powerful set of classics and new material that got the crowd of 8000 dancing and chanting.
The 5 day festival in Segou a town located 235 KM from the Malian capital Bamako attracted over 16.000 visitors from all over Mali and neighbouring counties.
It featured concerts, theater performances, exhibitions and music workshops.
When asked why he and his band had decided to go by road - a 2 day non stop journey that would take them through 4 countries and 8 border posts, Ade Bantu said it was important to remind the people of Mali, a country that has been battling with Islamic militant insurgency that they are not alone.
"The river Niger connects us Nigerians and Malians we are brothers and sisters and we must stand by one another in times of need. I believe music is a strong force that can heal," he said.
See photos from the epic road trip above.
Courtesy of Pulse.ng
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