The late Malidoma Patrice Somé (1956–2021) was born in Burkina Faso, West Africa. In his native language, Malidoma means “be friends with the stranger”. A gifted medicine man of the Dagara tribe, he held three master’s degrees and two doctorates, from the Sorbonne and Brandeis. 

He was the author of ‘Of Water and the Spirit’ and ‘The healing wisdom of Africa’. He was a representative and storyteller of the African Wisdom tradition.