Songhoy Blues
Music In Exile
February 23 2015 (Transgressive)
8/10
Words: Alison Mack
When Songhoy Blues' three main members - Garba Touré, Aliou Touré, Oumar Touré - all unrelated) fled their native Mali home after it was taken over by Islamist extremists In 2012, who subsequently banned music, they could not have foreseen that in the space of just over two years they would attract the attention of a British musician with whom they would later write (Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Dinner); appear on one of Britpop's best exponent's compilations (Damon Albarn’s Africa Express in 2013); then have their own work internationally feted as they arrive in London for their own sold out show (on Monday at Camden Barfly), as well as playing at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall supporting Albarn.
The group's 11-track debut album, co-produced by Zinner and Marc-Antoine Moreau (Amadou & Mariam’s manager - the former providing instrumental input on the tumbling Afrofunk or ‘Irganda’, and his own 'tribute song', ‘Nick’; he also co-wrote 'Soubour', the riff-chugging, energetic album opener and signature tune.
Overall the record is a work of bright effervescence that given the circumstances in which it came out of, adds even more plus points in its favour. From their love of western R&B such as BB King and John Lee Hooker which are infused throughout, to 'Jolie' with its skillful and adept guitar work; the raised voices of the spirited 'Desert Melodie', right through to the sinuous acoustic ballad of 'Petit Metier', Songhoy Blues have stamped Mali's infectitious groove on the music map.
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