Last week Malian photographer, Malick Sidibé, passed away at age 80. Arguably one of the most famous contemporary African photographers, Sidibé, a self-trained photographer is most well known for his portraits portraying '60s and '70s culture in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. Sidibé specifically is known for having captured citizens living at a unique time in Mali's history, when the country was in a transition period, just having gained independence from the French. Armed with his various film cameras both in and outside of his studio, Sidibé's black-and-white portraits showcase a time when many of the country's youth found inspiration and freedom in western pop culture.

The whole family on a motorcycle, 1962.

Many of Sidibé's photos include Bamako's youth dressed in western styles of clothing, posing with radios, record players, and other items that were powerful symbols of modernity. Evident throughout a numerous amount of his photos, Sidibé explained in a 2009 interview with website ASX, that Music played a big role throughout 60s and 70s culture in Mali. He described that, "Music was really the revolution because after 1957, rock music, hula-hoop, swing, etc., came to the country. Music was a true revolution in Mali."

James Brown fans, 1965.

By having items from the West (records and record players as well as clothing) on hand as props in his studio, Sidibé' enabled the citizens of Bamako, who may have not been able to gain access to these items otherwise, to portray themselves to different friends and family members as modern, sophisticated citizens of an increasingly globalized world.

Regardez-moi, 1962.

Up until his death, Sidibé continued to capture the citizens of Mali using film. On why he continued to use film all these years Sidibé commented:

"I understand that digital photography is simpler and much less expensive, but it’s not a true photograph for me. In analog photography, you have to focus the image, go to the lab, develop and work at it. Analog photography can’t trick you since it shows all of reality. In digital, you can manipulate the images."

Malick Sidibé's Legacy will continue to live on and he will remain an inspiration to photographers worldwide.

Click here for more of Sidibé's work

Photographs from: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/malick-sidibe...