A charity in Burkina Faso teaches criminals to sing

WHEN ROLAND TAPSOBA went to prison in 2015 he never dreamed he’d emerge a rock star. The 31-year-old former estate agent was convicted of fraud in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, and sentenced to five years behind bars.He had sung hip-hop for fun in high school. In jail, music became his salvation. Mr Tapsoba learned to play the guitar, huddled with ten inmates over one instrument. His favourite song was “” (“I’m coming tomorrow”, in Mossi, a local language). It made him think about seeing his family. “In jail you might feel hungry or have needs, but those are physical needs. In your mind the main priority is to get free, to go beyond the gates,” he says.