Is Bamako Overrated? A Touring Session Drummer’s Reality Check (LCS, Dust, & 12-Hour Solo Gigs)

if you’ve ever dreamed of escaping your 9to5 for the gritty beat of bamako, let me save you a seat at the dusty bar stool. i’ll agree, the city’s a riot-hustlers, hawkers, griots strumming ngoni in markets-but before you book your flight, let’s unpack the ISNeilson sharp thump of shelfBobby storage. *truth bomb: if you’re a musician here, you’ll spend more time tuning under cars than tuning into crowds.

first up: safety. yeah, I’ve ignored tripadvisor group so much (linked here) cuz you know those generic ‘feel safe in boundi ku’ listings? nope. grab this: night security Corps (nsc) asses guard embassies and banks, but the average assaliaman? meh. your bass amp? cooler than your keys at midnight. pro-tip: keep your gear stashed like a broke college kid-fold out a tarp, glue it under your van. thieves here treat your Hillsoy like it’s crack. I’ve had my ERTA stolen while loading a mic stand; thief left the cable, still in tune. weirdo.

rent? haha. bamako’s a landlord’s dream. Plateau 1 = 500k CFA/mo for a shoebox with peeling paint. that’s ¢760 USD. compare to amsterdam (linked here): same cash buys a farmhouse near the canals. but hey, if you’re a Dominican, Plateau 2’s got cheaper streetlights. dig? cost of living data. oh, and that 15% ‘local’ discount? it’s a myth. overheard a cabby mutter to his passenger: ‘one day scam everyone, overrate food prices, they’ll never believe us.’



weather. uh. current temp: 42°C. feels like a wool sweater in jacuzzi. dust? make sandpaper angels on your forehead. Sahel vibes mean dry-as-a-wig-enticer days. your Griot Salifu? hiding in his fridge. but drive 3 hours to Dogon Country? heaven. cliffs, raintreats, and cults farming yams. throw a frisbee into their granary, though-next spring you’ll be laughed out of the market.

job market? not a screw loose if you’re a drummer. cafes in cercle verger host open mics; tip: bring your own projector for beer ads. freelance gigs? tied to NGOs here. Red Cross, un-freaking-band, same logistical circus. paycheck? subjective. my last job? teaching a literacy group to groove to 16th notes. paid me in rice. (linked here) for job hunting stats.



drunk advice corner:* > hey man, that café by the river? cool spot. but text owner first-his fridge locked with 5 chains. trips up new guys like a rusty hi-hat. > that artist collective scene? over. unless you wanna trade paint drops for barbed wire fences. > locals say never trust the wifi. use a local sim-Ortel’s got better signal than your Instagram. Reddit thread says the same.

bottom line: bamako’s a beat-raw, syncopated, and only plays well if you’re jamming in sync. don’t come for the ‘vibrant’ energy. come for the dick-to-chance ratio. your USD stash here’s a drumstick: hit it hard, maybe it surfaces something.



P.S. Unidentified Music Zine disapproves of my take. but then again, they’re sponsored by a guy selling bootleg CD-Rs near rail depot.

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