Sujatha Fernandes on the banning of music in Mali

In a Sunday OpEd in the New York Times, Sujatha Fernandes, author of Close to the Edge: In Search of the Global Hip Hop Generation, examines the social and political role of music in Mali, where it has been almost nine months since Islamic militants in the northern part of the country have effectively banned the medium in its entirety. Whatever its motivation, Fernandes argues that the ban reveals "something about the nature of music itself as the essence of our social bonds and a bulwark against unfettered use of power." 

Read the full text of the article here.