A popular musician from Niger, Mamane Barka, has died in the capital, Niamey.

Born in 1959, he devoted himself to the traditional music of Niger, bringing it to the world stage.

He started his music career playing the gurumi, a two-stringed instrument.

But in 2002, he changed direction thanks to a scholarship from Unesco - according to London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

He used the money to revive the music of the biram, a boat-shaped, five-stringed instrument played by the Boudouma people – nomadic fishermen around Lake Chad.

He met the only surviving biram master, Boukar Tar, who taught him how to play the instrument, which is believed to protect the spirit of the lake.

Barka popularised the music “bringing the instrument to the attention of the wider world with his own blend of desert blues”, Soas said in 2009.

This is a clip of him playing the biram at Womad in the UK 10 years ago:

Mamane Barka is expected to be buried in his home town of Tesker on Thursday, according to Islamic rites.

He was known for singing in Hausa and French.

This is one of his early hits, Ameram – praising the kindness of a woman he met when he was a teacher – his first job.

Barka was also the author of three books on Nigerien culture.

Later in his life he taught people how to play local instruments.