Born in 1953 in Djanet, the author, composer and singer Othman Bali (aka Baly Othmani), whose real name was Mbarek Othmani, is the initiator of a musical movement introducing the lute in traditional music and poems learnt from his mother, great Tinde singer, with whom he travelled the world before passing away in June 2005 in a flood in his native town.
Together with Steve Shehan, they toured and released multiple albums such as Assouf, Assarouf or Assikel.