As French-led troops capture more towns held by rebels linked to al Qaeda in Mali, it’s become clear who some of the victims of one of the most vicious campaigns are: musicians. With the ancient cultural center of Timbuktu in its borders, Mali has always been a stronghold for the arts. But since the country became overrun by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the musicians are still singing—only they are fighting for their lives just by doing it. “They’ve said that when they capture music, they will cut out my tongue,” says Khaira Arby, who is known as as Mali's “Nightingale of the North.”
