Transcendental desert blues, a triumphant return, full of spark and wonder: these are just some of the descriptions being given to Songhoy Blues’ most recent album, which came out in January.
Hailing from Timbuktu, the band have spent the last 15 years sending fresh wind through the Malian music scene, particularly in the north of the country – home to the Songhai people and, of course, to the late Ali Farka Touré. It was perhaps The Guardian that best captured the spirit of the group’s latest record. ‘Malian rockers take a gorgeous acoustic turn’ is the headline, and one with which we wholeheartedly agree.
If Héritage does sound more acoustic, it’s a fascinating development for a group of young rebels whose first recordings were made in exile in Bamako, far from their home base in the north. A successful audition with the Africa Express NGO led by Damon Albarn took them into the studio; there they recorded their first track, ‘Soubour’, which was produced by Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and subsequently appeared on the second Africa Express compilation. Their work with Zinner led to the recording of a debut LP, Music in Exile, which came out in 2015, and catapulted the band to stages and festivals all over the world. The album coincided with release of the film They Will Have To Kill Us First, which featured the band prominently and was shown at Kino Šiška during the 2016 edition of Druga Godba.
The Covid pandemic hit shortly after the release of their third LP, Optimisme, which forced them to remain at home in Timbuktu. It is only this year, after a hiatus of half a decade, that the band are finally returning to the European stage. And if it wasn’t for Druga Godba, the only place you’d be able to see them this summer would be the UK. So the invitation goes out to fans from every country on the continent. Europe! Songhoy Blues and Druga Godba are waiting for you!
Songhoy Blues are Aliou (lead vocals), Omar (guitar) and Garba (guitar) Touré, brothers in spirit if not in fact, and Nathanael Dembelé on drums and percussion.
Aïta Mon Amour
Even before their debut album Abda came out in January, Moroccan hip-hop pioneer Widad Mjama and Tunisian Khalil Epi, one of the key figures on the Arabic electronic scene, were lighting up festivals and venues all over, and showing how powerful tradition can be when paired with the latest sounds of the Arab world. Audiences, it seems, can’t get enough of the duo’s silky textures, set against the desert blast of live electronics and electric oud.
With a history that reaches back almost 900 years, Aïta is poetry sung by women known as cheikhates. Widad and Khalil have carefully prised open this Moroccan treasure chest to show us jewels set within unique fusion of song and musical accompaniment, revive sounds seldom heard before, and evoke in outline those mighty Abda women who have given humanity a truly astonishing legacy that is nothing less than a gift of love. Aïta Mon Amour are a fascinating dose of indie rock from the 12th century.
Widad Mjama (vocals) / Khalil Epi (electric oud, electronics)
For fans of: Acid Arab, Agadir, Bab L’Bluz.
Co-produced by Druga godba and Kino Šiška
