This film shows how a prominent historical moment and a specific destiny helped form the career of one of today’s stars of world music. Singer-guitarist Boubakar Traoré of Mali, nicknamed KarKar, was rediscovered later on in life. At the beginning of the sixties, at a time when Mali had just gained its independence, he became “ambassador of the twist” and of Western music in general. KarKar, adept at both soccer and singing, agitated for the new regime. When later disillusionment set in, some members of the public blamed him. ‘His songs led us to believe in those who made us poor,’ comments one man in Sarasin’s documentary. In the film, KarKar shows the viewer around his beautiful and tranquil country and recounts its recent history. He also speaks of his own life, and the devastating consequences wrecked by his wife’s premature death and his fall to the lowest social levels. The film is a journey through the various styles of African music: from club entertainment to the traditional role of the griot, from political propaganda to fetishistic ritual. And Boubacar Traoré is not the only superb representative of the “desert blues.” The film also features Ballaké Sissoko, a virtuoso on the kora (African “lute”), and Grammy Award winning guitarist Ali Farka Touré.