Songhoy Blues: Mali’s Musical Optimists

An audience with Mali’s messengers of hope; Aliou Touré, the lead singer of rock revolutionaries Songhoy Blues, tells Tina about their new album and why they believe optimism is the only way to challenge the ongoing civil unrest in their country.

He’s been described as perhaps the greatest writer of Arabic fiction alive, but as well as a being a celebrated writer, poet and filmmaker, Hassan Blasim is also a refugee. Hassan discusses his latest novel God 99 - a work that tells the tale of 99 refugees and the man, also called Hassan, travelling through Europe to share their stories.

Belarusian playwright Andrei Kureichik talks to reporter Lucy Ash about the nation’s pro-democracy protest movement. Andrei reveals how his latest production, Insulted Belarus(sia) reflects the legacy of President Alexander Lukashenko, the man often called Europe’s Last Dictator.

Plus has a film, a play or a book ever changed the way you see the world? The activist and photographer Sunil Gupta shares the story of his discovery of the work of the Canadian writer, Alice Munro.

Presented by Tina Daheley

(Photo: Songhoy Blues. Credit: Kiss Diouara, Millennium Communication, Bamako)