Aziza Brahim’s new album Abbar el Hamada (out now on Glitterbeat) blew us away on first listening with its haunting tales of a life spent in refugee camps. It was therefore a great pleasure to get the chance to interview this important singer. Exiled as she is from the country of...
Tag Archives: Mali
![Album Review: Oumou Sangaré – Moussolou [World Circuit, 16th April 2016]](https://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/oumou-moussolou-packshot-rgb-1440x1440-335x335.jpg)
It’s a real joy to see the re-release of this classic album Moussolou (Women), one that has been in my current playlist since it was first released internationally in 1991. It brought to the world’s attention the voice of singer Oumou Sangaré – a voice not only powerful in its own...
![Album Review: Various Artists – Every Song Has Its End: Sonic Dispatches From Traditional Mali – CD+DVD [Glitterbeat Records, 1st April 2016]](https://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/0006853723_10-1-335x335.jpg)
Mali’s profile on the global music scene has been rising for years, producing any number of internationally renowned artists. Featured on this album is singer and guitarist Afel Bocoum, a notable example of one such musician, but the overall focus of Every Song Has Its End is not on global...
Songhoy Blues are a music mystery: the more they become popular and people listen to their music, the more they defy any definition. There are those who say that the four musicians from Gao are the last true desert blues interpreters, then there are critics affirming that they sound psychedelic,...
At the age of sixty-six, Kassé Mady Diabaté is one of the living greats of Malian music. His nickname Kassé derives from the Bambara word Kassi, which means to weep, as his beautiful voice is said to make people cry with joy. What an honour it was then to have a short interview...
In the dark and dingy environment of Islington’s Electrowerkz Mali’s ngoni master Bassekou Kouyaté and his family band Ngoni Ba took to the stage to dazzle the audience with their dexterity and musical traditions. For the uninitiated, the Ngoni is the African precursor of the banjo and guitar dating back...
Boubacar Traoré, one of the most symbolic voices and guitarists of African blues graced Rich Mix and Serious Space Shoreditch with a remarkable performance. A minimal but revealing gig it was one that only musicians of his calibre could produce. There wouldn’t be African blues without Malian music, and Boubacar...
