Born in 1936 at Soloba, in the Yanfolila Cercle, Mali, Malik Sidib� is now an internationally recognized artist and is considered the greatest African photographer.�In1962, just after Mali proclaimed its independence, Sidib� opened his studio in Bamako, devoting himself to reportage and documentary photography. �His famous black-and-white images portray youth culture and dance evenings in the Malian capital. �During the 70s he turned to highly studied studio portraits which appeared, nonetheless, extremely spontaneous and fresh. Since 1999, his work has been marked by a particularly poetic approach to portraying people from behind, managing to convey their character despite such an unusual perspective.�In 2003, he received the Hasselblad Foundation prize for photography and in 2007, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 52nd Venice Biennale. In 2008, he was awarded an Infinity Award.This monograph gathers together a large group of archive images which are completely unknown (especially the Malian parties of the60s and `70s and the studio portraits). Divided into three chapters, the book also features, for the first time, impressive color photographs showing scenes of village life, hunting, and rituals.��