National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

I was fortunate to have been invited to participate in TEDGlobal in Arusha, Tanzania June 4th to 7th. Africans and non-Africans from over 40 countries met to use their brains, imaginations and hearts to consider "Africa: The Next Chapter." It was the most stimulating, people-intensive conference I've ever been to.

Represented were disciplines as diverse as paleontology, business, computer science, government, journalism, politics, religion, environmental activism, poetry, media, film-making, "ethno-mathematics," economics, philanthropy, architecture, publishing, as well as the performing and visual arts. Surprise visitors were Bono just before his G8 blitz as well the vigorous and refreshingly honest President of Tanzania, his Excellency Jakya Mrisho Kikwete.

TED (technology, entertainment and design) is organized radically differently than most conferences with their usual panel sessions, Q&A, and break-out sessions. TED instead somehow manages to fit in 50 presenters over the course of three days each with just 18 minutes to present their material. No pitching of one's business is allowed from the stage (mostly adhered to). Presenters are challenged to distill their professional experience to draw out broader lessons about their disciplines and the bigger world. TED runs a tight ship! They managed to pull it off. The main frustration I found amongst colleagues was not having enough time to ask follow-up questions to these brain-tickling sessions and to hear also how others from all over the world would respond. But that's the way of TED.

If there was one over-riding theme TEDGlobal 2007 it was that African business and African entrepreneurs were the future of the continent. Unlike aid parachuted into crisis places to stem civil conflict or health disasters, more resources, the thinking went, should be devoted to building up the private sector and its capacity to create products and services, employ people, reduce poverty, earn money and move forward on Africa's long path towards self-sufficiency. This approach differs of course from such famous champions of Africa as Bono who received some challenging questions from TEDsters about the traditional aid paradigm. He gave as good as he got. Later in the session, no less than Nigeria's former minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala—acclaimed for her war on corruption—told the story of how her younger sister was saved thanks to an aid organization. She challenged the notion that Africans had to choose one or the other path.

Thankfully, TED made a significant commitment to live music for the conference. Mali's Rokia Traore delivered a beautiful set. South African singer-writer Vusi Mahlasela (recently inducted into the Afropop Hall of Fame) had TEDsters almost crying with his songs of strength and resistance in the bad old days of apartheid. Tanzania's own Bi Kidude, the fierce 95 year (give or take) old singer of the Culture Musical Club (pictured together) stole the show when Bi Ki strapped on a drum almost as big as her and beat out the rhythm while her five women singer-dancers slinked around her in a circle, clapping and singing. Then at the conference finale dinner that night, Culture Musical Club proud of their Zanzibari heritage, performed magnificent orchestral-like taarab showcasing violins, a stand-up bass, accordion, qu'nun, and those beautiful singer dancers dressed in light blue floor-length silk gowns. For their second set, Culture lay down some of their string instruments and picked up drums for down home kidumbak boogie music.

Kudos to our friend and colleague Bill Bragin, who serves as Music Advisor for TED, for curating this fantastic trio of acts.