Opening the discography of Songhoy Blues is like opening the gates of the desert: being caught in a sandstorm can’t be very different from being surrounded by the swirling rock of this Malian band. After nearly fifteen years of career and four albums, it’s impossible to separate their music from the desert, which is practically another member of the group. Their blues-rock moves sinuously like a jeep crossing the dunes.
Like Tinariwen or Les Amazones d’Afrique, Songhoy Blues have become spokespersons for the lament of the Tuareg people. A story of displacement and exile that the members of the band can tell firsthand, since, due to the jihadist threat, they were forced to move from their native Timbuktu to the north of the country. Once settled there, the Africa Express project, led by Damon Albarn, discovered Songhoy Blues around 2013 during a trip to explore Bamako’s music scene. Two years later, backed by the British platform, they debuted with “Music in Exile.”
Organized by Primavera Tours + Magic Mountain
