Songhoy Blues is a Malian desert blues band based in Bamako, Mali formed by Garba Touré, Aliou Touré, Oumar Touré and Nathanael Dembélé Songhoy Blues…
Artist Profiles: Songhoy Blues
Tag: Malian music
Las Maravillas de Mali to Perform in London in 2019
Legendary West African ensemble Las Maravillas de Mali is set to perform on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at Barbican Hall in London. The acclaimed Malian…
Artist Profiles: Las Maravillas de Mali
Formed in the early 1960s, Las Maravillas de Mali became an iconic ensemble of the Afro-Cuban musical tradition, singing in Spanish, Bambara and French. In…
Malian Sensation Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba to Release Miri in 2019
Malian ngoni trailblazer Bassekou Kouyate has announced the release of a new album in 2019 titled ‘Miri’. The new recording, on Out Here Records,…
Artist Profiles: Malian Singer-Songwriter Rokia Traore
Rokia Traore was born in 1974 and comes from Bamako. Though-steeped in tradition, Rokia Traore’s music is thoroughly integrated into a contemporary sound, thanks to…
Artist Profiles: Salif Keita
A master of West African rhythms and credited as one of the founders of the Afropop genre, Salif Keita is world renowned for his unforgettable…
Artist Profiles: Super Rail Band
The legendary band that has been an institution in Mali since the late 1960s, Super Rail Band, mixes traditional African instruments with electric guitars, led…
Artist Profiles: Desert Blues Band Tinariwen
Tinariwen (originally Taghreft Tinariwen, or “edification of the lands”) became known for vocalizing the political plight of endangered nomads. Their music spoke to the Tuareg…
Artist Profiles: Vieux Farka Toure
Growing up, Vieux Farka Touré played calabash (a unique-sounding dried gourd drum used in Mali) and other percussion, but his father, famed guitarist Ali Farka…
Artist Profiles: Yacouba Sissoko
Yacouba Sissoko is a master kora player from the jeli tradition. He was born in Kita, Mali. His grandfather, Samakoun Tounkara, began teaching Yacouba when…