Hassi was born in 1954, on the island village of Danga, region of Dire, cercle de Tombouctou, in Northern Mali. His passport spells his name: Alhassane Hamdou Sare.

Hassi was a wise and gentle soul, a consummate master of a magical instrument and musical lineage, the one-stringed Njarka violin.  He embodied the ancient traditions of his Peul / Sonrai culture, and was a bridge from the ancient into the modern world.  His elfin appearance caused many people to note that Hassi in fact looked like a Jinn, and he himself joked about this.

He certainly brought the spirits when he played. He was very sensitive, quiet, with an elegance that transcended everything from blinding sandstorms to harsh economic conditions that many people who may read this probably could not imagine. In a country known for high infant mortality, Hassi had lost five children. 

He was a beautiful dancer, whose Takamba was as magical to see as to hear. Hassi said you must be blessed to have the spiritual gifts to play the Njarka. For Hassi, music, the Narka, and the Jinn were always intimately connected. His musical expression was literally a conversation with another dimension.

His signature sound was ethereal, and other worldly.  Whereas other Njarka, Sokou, and Emzed players create a sound which is essentially violin or string-like, Hassi's Njarka voice was often impossible to distinguish from a flute, with human voice-like qualities, and played as an always-varying rhythmic cadence.  The single string of the Njarka and also its bowstring, are made from the hairs of a horse, and Hassi was forceful in pointing out that it must be “Albarka” – a blessed horse – a strong, beautiful, fast-running, horse that everyone loves.

From "Remembering Hassi Saré" by Markus James