Music in Exile

Började bra, slutade bra, och svängde rakt igenom

Helt fantastiskt! Kanske första gången nånsin som jag känner att det första spåret är det svagaste, men resten är verkligen toppen rätt igenom.

Svängde inte.

Började bra, men sen gick det in för mycket i samma trista World-gung som vanligt

Ooft this kicks hard.

Good background story and chill music but because of the language barrier I’ll give it 3 stars

Soubour - 4/5 Irganda - 4/5 Al Hassidi Terei - 5/5 Sekou Oumarou - 4/5 Nick - 3/5 Ai Tchere Bele - 5/5 Wayei - 5/5 Petit Metier - 5/5 Jolie - 5/5 Desert Melodie - 4/5 Mali - 3/5 Average score: 4.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ finally, something new to grace my ears! feels like forever since i've heard anything this interesting didn't know what to expect from Malian blues (or Malian music in general), but this was very enjoyable. non-english music on this list has been hit-or-miss, but this sounds super accessible to just about any listener regardless of country

World, 2015 -> 2

Muziek waar ik sporadisch naar luister. Instrumentaal heel fijn. Taaltechnisch een flinke barrière. Erg repetitief met een droneachtige feel bij de zanglijnen en riffs. Wel prima, zal ik vaker opzetten. 6.0

Solid, often inspired guitar work with a unique blues-rock-by-way-of-Mali sound. Am I being too close-minded when I say that I’d like this album better if it was just instrumentals? Probably!

nigeryjskie arctic monkeys

This was awesome. Like a bluesy ababdou and Miriam. Definitely will get another listen

A second pass through really solidified this for me. The guitar riffs alone made this standout in a big way. I absolutely loved this album.

Rock n roll in an African context. Brilliant. 4/5

Only heard two songs, not really my thing

Really vibed with the first song, and then the rest flew by in a more forgettable fashion. Likely one i won’t go back to.

Upbeat. Enjoyed.

These guys are a vibe for sure

This was an interesting listen. Never heard of them. Good versions of the blues.

Desert Blues from Timbuktu in Mali. Loved this album.

Definitely an album I would not have been exposed to otherwise lol

This was kind of cool. Honestly pretty solid blues. It stinks not knowing what they’re saying, but the emotion is conveyed!

Interesting to hear global blues

This slaps.

Такие гемы всегда приятно находить. Этот альбом - это путешествие в жаркую Африку с хорошими людьми. Он очень интересен музыкально, очень самобытен и я рад, что он мне встретился, это просто отлично.

Was für eine Musik, Sehr schön gemacht

great, great, great! some of the newer are additions are really odd, but that's a great album!

This album is pretty cool. It takes the familiarities of blues and applies them in an African context. This doesn’t really do anything new, but I didn’t think it really has to. It’s a fun time. Favorites were Soubour, Al Hassidi Terei, and Nick.

Found a new favorite. This was dope.

Fantastic!

not the usual type of music id listen to but the instrumentals are so good top 3; 🥇ai tchere bele 🥈nick 🥉wayei

This one was cool, loved the music and if not for the language barrier, would have scored higher for me! These are some cool dudes making some nice bluesy music. Pleasantly surprised!

Light 3,5

335/1089 - What a crazy story for how this group started. Makes me feel grateful for what I have and what I don't have to deal with when living in a Western country with classically liberal values. The music is somewhat samey but also a pleasant combo of blues rock and West African rhythms and melodies.

A fun blues album. Enjoyed the guitar. High 3 low 4

Sounds like joy. The raw enthusiasm is infectious. I was slightly obsessed with this album when it came out. Really glad it made the list. Strong 4

Blues music with an African accent

I am impressed at how fresh this sounds, a familiar genre (blues) given a fresh coat of paint. Interesting writing throughout and a consistently good mood.

Great african blues from Mali, a low to mid 4 for me, especially enjoy the high energy tracks, will check out more of their records and the docco film from the same time

pretty okay.

Im not gonna lie, I didn’t finish the whole album. It was good, just not my style!

nice vibes

mooie blend tss Afrikaans en Westers...blues met sahara kantje... toch een kleine openbaring voor mij

Classic Blues (Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Kings Albert & BB) mixed with strong Malian influence. A break from the norm for me and highly enjoyable.

This is right up my alley. Love the beats and vocals. Made me dance. Wish I could find translations of the lyrics. Will continue trying. So good I listened to it twice.

Good vibes but only listened to half

I ain't

I enjoyed that album. It's not really my thing but it was a good listen.

Liked this a lot. Got a bit same-y at the end, which I feel happens for me when I don't speak the language. That's a quibble though, this is enjoyable throughout. Had never heard of them. Worth reading their backstory.

Even without their backstory, this album is great. lively and infectious.

This is why I’m here! Please, more worldwide representation.

Heard first phew songs they were great

Cooler Touareg Rock mit Fokus auf Gitarren, sehr tight

Groovt

Cool!

This is great. Slightly different interesting take on blues and African music. Much better that Bonamassa or Vaughan for example. Perfectly approachable.Electric and acoustic: good lyrical and emotional content. Variety and general sense of hope and cheer and musicality well better than a lot of the industrial over produced stuff on this list.

I don’t understand the song titles, but I love the sound of Music in Exile. The vocals feel deeply rooted in West African tradition, and the bluesy, crunchy guitars give it a raw, modern edge. “Soubour” is my favorite track.

that was great!

Pretty good! Enjoyed it once I got into it, not sure if it is one I'll return to all that much.

Sum1 loves you, but it ain’t me

Buns on wax

I would have never listened to this if not for this list. It is not something I enjoy african blues, but I appreciate how musically talented all of these individuals are, especially the guitarist 2.5 rounded to 3

Nice record

Interesting. Superb deset blues rock fusion album. Genre bending, language transcending goodness. Will have to check the translated lyrics, but the sound is raw and expressive.

what an amazing album! loved this a lot. there were quite a few favourite songs but narrowing it down to the ones i loved the most it was; al hassidi terei and petit metier. 4.7/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖

A pleasant surprise. A pretty groovy blues album that trails a little toward the end. Overall a very enjoyable listen.

Another great album I had never heard of, full of foot tapping beats in a wonderful west African blues rock experience. A lively album that was a lot of fun to listen to, while also not over staying its welcome.

Saw these guys open for Alabama Shakes ten years ago. Recall them being pretty good and that opinion hasn't shifted based on this listening experience. They achieved a cool guitar tone and the production is fairly crisp. As for highlights: Nick has a cool swing to it, hypnotic. Wayei- such a beautiful song; aching If the rest of the album were like these songs, it'd quite possibly be a 5-star affair.

The album art made me a little hesitant, but after listening to this album I am quite fond of it! Also did not expect Timbuktu.

New to me, but what an absolute blast. Great album

Really enjoyed the bluesy guitar driven music on this. Currently a strong 4, might upgrade upon future listens.

Very Radio 6

oh hell yeah!

3.07/5 Top Songs: Should I Stay or Should I Go?, Kashmir, Soul Makossa

Blues rock originating from Timbuk-fucking-tu? Count me in. This right here is what this list is for. Non of that late 60's or 80's British New Wave BS. Some awesome music would have never heard of in a million years without this. Hell yeah. And it was cool to boot. 9/10. Can't wait to get punished by getting 10 albums in a row from 1968 where a bunch of dudes got high on LSD and tried to recreate the Beatles.

This is a 3.5 I hate I can’t do half stars.

the vibes are immaculate here!

Was sceptical at first but it quickly grew on me. Need more african stuff here. Ended up doing a deep dive into the Western African Jazz scene after. Also i rlly want to see the studio when they worked w iggy pop lmao

the beat is great, but i wish i knew what they were yapping about… that’s my fault tho not theirs

Looks at cover. *ugh*. Look at name. *ugh*. Expects white boy critics trying to be street. Reads wiki article. Oh, hold on: this could be interesting. Listens to album it’s not bad at all. It is not the absolute best west African album I’ve heard, but it’s a solid example. Does it belong here? More so than 5 elvis costello or Neil young. Less than other but it’s here. I suppose we should thank Julian casablancas for promoting the cause. Music alone can’t change the world. But it can make it more tolerable. I hope these guys feel they’ve improved things.

I love desert blues. As Ali Farka Toure points out, it is not blues, but draws from the same, much older African routes from whence American blues also derived. But it also incorporates elements of Western musical forms, which makes it both familiar and fresh to my Western ears. There are many familiar aspects -- the repetitive guitar riffing, the grooves, the call-and-response vocals, the pentatonic playing -- that are easy for me to understand, but when I dig in, there is much that is engaging and exciting to me, because it is a tradition that I am not familiar with. I particularly love the way that the riffs seem simple, until you start to try to unlock the rhythms, which are complex, layered and often polyrhythmic. The way that influences of Western blues, rock and funk are seamlessly woven into the fabric without being simple copy or pastiche, is a masterclass in influence without appropriation. This album is a good example of the pleasures of desert blues. It is at its best when relatively unpolished, just settling into the groove and bashing it out. The opening song, Soubour, is a particular banger. Ali Farka Toure is originator of desert blues (at least as it is understood in the West) and there have been a bunch of bands that take his lead and run with it. Songhoy Blues were the hot ticket there for a while, but they seem to have been usurped more recently by Mdou Moctar, whose more muscular rock stylings are a bit more to Western tastes. But this a record I would happily play almost any day of the week. Standout track is Soubour.

Meh. Not for me

Great blues rock album. Not a genre I go to, but I enjoyed listening to this, it had a lot of great energy. It kind of reminded me of how the Black Keys would sound if I actually liked them. History of the band is pretty interesting as well. 3.25/5

Really good album. It reminds me of mdou moctar, but I think this came first and I just didn't know. 4/5

First album that came up that I’ve never heard of. Really nice grooves throughout.

Really enjoyed this - never heard of them before but it was great to listen to something new. No idea what they were singing about but didn't detract from the enjoyment.

This was really fun and enjoyable to listen to. I feel like I would've enjoyed this much more if I understood the lyrics. Still, I liked this band's sound.

Love. Is the family name Touré as common in West Africa as Johnson in Rock Ridge? Watch the 2015 doc They Will Have To Kill Us First

Whilst I enjoyed this album, I can't help but think that its inclusion is entirely down to the Julian Casablancas link. I have a few African albums in my collection, but there's no way I'm an expert on the music of the continent just because I know who King Sunny Ade is. If there was a separate 1001 African Albums list, I'd like to see it, but it would have to be compiled by people that know and love the subject. In the meantime, the dozen or so albums in this list that aren't from the Anglosphere feel a little tokenistic, however great they are.

That was fun

Really liked it and this album is the reason I joined this group. It broadened my horizon and introduced me to music I would have never listened to. Sure, this program has done that before. But in the past it has been some shitty band from Europe rock that has less than 100 monthly spotify listens that only made this list because they either blackmailed the authors or the authors are in the promoted band. But this felt different. From the story of why the Songhoy Blues are here to the music itself, it was unique and refreshing. Not sure it will make my weekly rotation - and that is more than acceptable - but they were top notch and very good. 10/10.

Cool afro blues

Liked this quite a bit. Wasn’t too familiar with African rock so this was cool. 3 stars

I’m instantly in love with this. Exposure to other cultures’ music has been the best benefit from working through this list, and I’ve discovered a particular affinity for rock and pop from an African lineage. There’s usually catchy melodies and rhythmic interplay, and that is 100% true here. But even more than that, what this record provides is some *truly fucking sick* guitar playing. This is probably one of the most accessible-to-Western-audiences African rock records I’ve heard. Excellent and I’m going to check out the rest of these guys’ discography. Must-listen #260.

Good

Cool.

Something I've never heard before!

Hell yeah! Some great guitar playing! Very bluesy!

Very enjoyable blues right off the bat. These guys can groove.

I was already familiar with this album, so it was one of those pleasant surprises where you get to listen to something you love as reward for the previous day's dirge. A solid piece of work.

The opening track was quite promising, I was hoping the rest of the album would follow suit, and in some ways it did. I totally see why Damon Albarn collabed with the group. But I just can’t see myself coming back to this album.

These guys took some Mali music and mixed it with some American blues to create "desert blues", a groovy infectious sound.

So good. I just loved this. That grove is so infectious. It's kind of uniquely African and yet very western in a lot of ways. Combined with the unique story, there is just so much to love. One of my favourite discoveries of this thing for sure

It’s ok.

These guys fucking rock I can’t get over the guitar. Easy 5

Yes please more of this sort of thing Love a bit of desert blues, so this is right up my street. Modern enough that I’d not previously heard it. Probably my favourite discovery from this list and I’m halfway through

Not really my vibe, apprecite it tho

I may have heard something from this group before but not positive. Interesting background for the band and I was just looking at Mali on Google Maps, which is funny.

I loved this. It feels like Southern blues took a long, sun-baked detour through Mali and came back with new life. The guitars are familiar and comforting, but the vocals and rhythms give everything this unexpected, joyful spark. It’s energetic, earthy, and completely infectious. A perfect blend of homegrown blues DNA and West African serendipity.

Had no idea wht to expect, but got some really solid blues rock. There are great songs in here, and even with the language barrier, you can feel the emotions of these musicians who have been exiled from their home country. Really glad this one’s on the list.

Amazingly infectious music. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, you can't help but enjoy the grooves,

Not for me

The sound is quality, and it seems upbeat. Feels like an album I should enjoy, but honestly not really a fan. I think it's because the songs sound the same the entire way through with seemingly little variation. Skipping through the songs and changing to different parts of them make them all blur together and sound like they have the same formula.

A pleasant surprise. I don't have the background to analyze it properly, but it has inspired me to fix that.

Happy to hear this for the first time. This band rips.

Car commercial music, but african. Very repetetive. 3.5/10 Favourite track: N/A

interesting, groovy, good guitar. I think this would be better live.

Not sure what I was expecting but this is pretty good. Some nice guitar work.

Morm rečt, da me je blo strah tega albuma k sm zjutraj pogledala, kaj me čaka. Po pa še midday migrena, k še zj čutim posledice... Ampak! Zj poslušam prvi komad ("Soubour") in je hud! Hopefully bo cel album najs. So far sami bangerji. "Nick" mi ma mal old school rock'n'roll vajb. Jezik je ful zanimiv, Songhai. (Ugh, maja so bli v Kinu Šiška!) Chill, fajne kitare, prijetno. Will probably listen to again.

Entertaining, upbeat, emotional — but that’s as far as it goes.

An actual album created in exile. An album of music preservation. These gentlemen were run out of their homeland by jihadists. That fact adds a definite level of urgency to this project. This music has a fresh uplifting feel. It's not exuberant, though. It's sober. It's the blues. The songs don't follow the normal western "verse, verse, chorus..." structure. Rather, each song finds a nice groove and sits there for nearly the entire song. This album is pretty much a collection of really nice contemplative groove pieces. Since it's not recorded in English, I can't comment on any of the lyrical content. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable listen.

Very interesting album. Even though I don't speak the language, the emotions came through very clearly and intensely. This is the fist album from the list that feels like the emotions take over the lyrics and even the music itself.

Impressive new find

It starts off really strong, but then kind of peters out at the end. But given the contract of the album, it's quite an amazing feat.

I did not expect to discover Malinese blues rock when starting this venture but here we are. Good riffs and guitar play with interesting use of 6/8 rythms to give it tinges of afrobeat. Excellent. Fuck those jihadi's, dance to songhoy blues!

Really cool african rock

Oooh, Malian music, always a feast for the ears. I hit "add to library" before I finished the album. Excellent inclusion on the list, absolutely fantastic all around.

This is the good shit, this is the kid of hidden gems I love to find, this is why I signed up for this.

This kind of stuff is why we're here. Did I understand a word they said? No, I did not. Is it good music? You're damned skippy it is! These guys rock! It's a 50's meets the new age kinda vibe. Rocky beats, snappy guitar riffs, lots of feeling. I'm so glad this one came up. My rating: 5/5

#779. Perhaps you'd have to understand what they're talking about to understand how this gets classified as blues, because it seems pretty upbeat and fun from the outside, but it fucks nonetheless. 4/5: great

Another new band I appreciate learning about. I love their sound, and need to find a good translation so I can understand the lyrics. I feel like they have a lot to say about what forced them out of their country.

This was wild! Every song had this hypnotically catchy riff that made each song feel like they were 60 seconds but at the same time also 5 minutes?

Not my thing but not too bad. Probably didn’t give it the attention it deserves. More importantly, “worldwide” isn’t a genre and Apple Music is just lazy and racist

Poor mans Amado and Mariam

African jams similar to Fela Kuti. 4/5

A genuinely pleasant discovery: soulful tunes with fun guitars

African music is something I enjoy very much. I grew up in the Caribbean. This album, however, has brought something else. I enjoy what this band brings to the table: the mix of blues, rock, and traditional rhythms from their country of origin, Mali. Garba Touré’s guitar lines weave a hypnotic pulse into this rock-driven territory. The rhythm section propels each track with polyrhythmic grooves feels both ancient and modern, while Aliou Touré’s vocals soar in a style of its own that blends storytelling, call-and-response, and infectious chorus work. What makes the album exceptional is its emotional duality and resilience: the music radiates joy even as it carries the weight of exile. Songs like “Soubour” and “Al Hassidi Terei” burst with danceable energy; yet beneath the surface lie stories. I wish I could learn more. From what I can hear in the music, I sense hardship and celebration—the beating heart of the album. It’s what gives Music in Exile its power and global resonance.

This was a nice and pleasing listen, I played it thru twice. None of the tracks in particular stood out to me, but I did enjoy the percussion on “Irganda.” This is right on the line, 3.5 for me.

I like this! I haven't listened to enough desert blues to be able to tell you if this is a really good album or not, but I can tell that the production is high quality. But I really don't have much else to say about it? It's good and vibey, a fun version of blues. Favorite Song(s): Sekou Oumarou

# Album Name: Music in exhile # Artist: Songhoy Blues # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Not a bad effort! probably the best african album ive had on this list. Its quite an enjoyable listen throughout. But no one song really stood out. A VERY low 4. More like a 3.5 # Top Tunes: No idea # Would I listen to it again? Probably

I'm wondering how the critics at the time thought this album would become a defining influence in popular music, but I'm not complaining. This is still a fantastic album that blends the traditions of its creators with the passionate energy of blues rock. What may come across as the trite, stadium-sized "alt-rock" of acts like X Ambassadors is transformed into a soulful, engaging performance by way of African polyrhythms and vocal stylings. In the second half, the band takes a slower, stripped-down approach and shifts its focus to a more folk-inspired sound. While I do enjoy the first half more, the entire project remains a great listen and neither side of the group overstays its welcome. If you're looking for a project that takes the elements of American music and makes something unique from it, I would highly recommend checking this out. Favorite Tracks: Soubour, Al Hassidi Terei, Petit Metier, Desert Melodie Score: A

It's like a better rockabilly, more fun and full of action. I need more Desert Blues. I need more of this. God bless. Best Tracks: Desert Melodie, Mali, Ai Tchere Bele, Irganda, Jolie

Fine stuff. World music

Not my thing but my mom would love this

Very very good. Unique, interesting, melodic, soulful and authentic.

Something very different quite enjoyable. Probably wouldn’t listen to it again though

This is the kinda stuff I started following this project for. Hell yeah

Quite an interesting blues sound on this album. I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, but I still think it's very good. 3.5/5.0: Very Good

every now and then in a sea of mediocre british post punk you come across a hidden gem like this one. this was a refreshing listen that reminded me why i do this project. these guys absolutely rip

It was okay enough, a bit of a different and refreshing perspective.

Отличный альбом. Возьму на заметку. Настоящий африканский блюз, необычно. Альбому не хватает хитовости, поэтому тройка, но на самом деле можно и четверку было б ставить

Cool sound

This was a really great listen. There's a lot of layers here. The earlier part of the album is maybe more familiar for western listeners. It's blues-rock, some technical guitar riffing, but often pretty straight-forward. The album gets more intricately layered after. There's some afro-beat mixed in. Choral vocals that sound much more distinctly African, than American. The rhythms become more complex, the guitar moves faster, frenetic at points, with drums playing poly-rhythms. There's also a few gorgeous acoustic ballads that are stripped down to the bones. Album closer "Mali" is a gorgeous number which I assume is a love-letter to their home country. The more I listened the more affecting I found this one. Great album, really happy to have been introduced to this one.

Enjoyed the Latin elements in songs but mostly found it to be background music

This was a great listen - I was familiar with the first track as it had quite a bit of radio play at the time on BBC 6Music, but for some reason I never explored them further. I'm glad this record cropped up, I've a feeling it's going to send me down a bit of a rabbit hole. Their description on Apple Music as a 'Desert Blues' band doesn't nearly do them justice - this is energetic, spirited, infectious music that needs to be played loud. The Led Zeppelin and Clash covers were good fun too.

Off the cuff remark: completely new to me and I was initially intrigued by the seeming meeting of genres but with a lack of variety this quickly fell away. Reasonably listenable but just a bit lacking.

Loved this. A beautiful display of how musical traditions travel back and forth across the world

I find when it comes to having additional context for music I'm only bothered in cases where it feels like it's a requirement. When it's albums where you can't just enjoy them on their own merits; you need to be up and aware of the artist's "lore" or whatever to fully engage with them. This sounds like I'm complaining about Taylor Swift again, but I gave a similar kind of guff to Marvin Gaye for 'Here, My Dear' as well. Normally, I **love** finding out the story behind a work; you can discover meaning and attachments you never would've found before. But it should never feel like the context is homework — that's my thing. And what's good about this album is that you don't need context in order to enjoy it. Taking it on its face, it's a very nice collection of Mali blues. A lot of good guitar playing and very nice vocals. Obviously, you won't understand a word of it unless you know the language, though it hardly matters. The material here, just on a sonic level, is strong enough that it transcends the language barrier. I wouldn't say I'm **wild** about it, but overall it's a very nice 39 minutes. Under typical circumstances, that would've been my opinion, in short. Far from an invalid one. Without reading other reviews, I just know there are plenty of other people who've taken this thing strictly on the music. That would've been that. But then, much like 'Buena Vista Social Club', I discovered that the album's liner notes were available to read on Discogs via scans. And I figured, "Hey, why not; let's see what they hafta say." And just like with 'Buena Vista Social Club', nearly my entire opinion on the album changed because of those liner notes. The music stayed the same — but the **meaning** behind it ... **that's** where this album elevated. See, here's the context: 'Music In Exile' isn't just a title. They meant it. The band was formed under civil conflict that forced them, separate at the time, to flee their homes and go down south. They were escaping the imposition of Sharia law by a jihadist group that banned cigarettes, alcohol ... and music. I'll say it again: music was banned in the north of Mali. It's something I'd read Frank Zappa speculate about in the liner notes of 'Joe's Garage', but it's not something I could imagine actually happening. Banning music? Because it's "haram" — a "sin"? How could anyone do that? If I may paraphrase one of the band members, a world without music would be a prison. So, I guess it only seemed right for these guys to form a band. Y'know, not for themselves, as a lark, but for all of the northern people who were refugees just like them. "To recreate that lost ambience of the north." And that's just ... a damn nice thing to do. I mean, sure it won't get them back home. But a world without music ... and if it can help remind them of home, and maybe just for a little while get their minds off of their troubles ... it can only be a good thing. Like I said above, the music hasn't changed. For my ears, it's good, but I'm not terribly excited by it. I could take it or leave it. But listening to this album under that context I talked about, I don't simply hear Mali blues. I can't hear it as just that anymore. I hear music of the people, by the people ... it's not music for the sake of it, nor even music as an act of rebellion. It's music for the people who needed it the most. And in my book — in my heart, that's more important. And if you don't think it is, fair, fine. Not everyone cares about context in the same way. Again, I think if it's absolutely required, it's a nuisance. You can still take this album for what it is and have a good time. I just think it's worth keeping this in mind while this record's spinning. But if you really don't care about the extra context ... well, allow me to close this review/babble with a quote from the liner notes: "The story of Songhoy Blues, and of the blues of the Songoy people, is deep, centuries old. You can try [and] read up on it and understand it. It'll take a bit of time and repay the effort. But then again, you can just listen to these tracks and let the music paint you a picture, of four sharp young guys from West Africa, who grew up by the river where the blues were born, who belong to a people that once ruled an empire, and whose home has been torn apart in recent years by conflict, arrogance, puritanism and hatred." Good stuff, you guys. Good stuff.

Desert blues: slightly new to me, yet very much good. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’d love to keep there, but I think I’ll bump it down to a 4. This album is a brilliant ball of electric guitar-infused blues rock, with a West Africa lean, brought on by the exile forced upon its band members to ongoing civil occupations caused by Sharia law. Granted, my geopolitical knowledge is rather minimal, so I’m certainly not an expert to speak on how this album came together, but I’m very glad they’ve channeled whatever frustrations that must’ve arisen from the situation into a great album. I don’t really understand any lyrics here, but I’m guessing based on a good chunk of the vocal passion thrown in that there’s certainly some level of political content in the lyrics, even in broad, chanted, rhythmic strokes. The instrumentation is where this album shines, with this album at its very best when it approaches everything with a rock lean at higher tempos. The opening track “Soubour” won me over immediately, and it felt like the album was gonna easily roll all the way to a 5. The thing that’s stopping me from giving this a 5, and sort of stumbling down to a 4, is simply in the luster of the album going away to my ears. It’s a very dazzling album when it starts, and it carries its momentum well through the first 6 tracks or so, but save for “Petit Metier” & “Mali”, I found myself catching a generalized production pattern that slowly pulled the energy away. I think most of the last few tracks boil down to an acoustic guitar melody, a hypnotic chanty vocal style, and a slightly looping bass / percussion track, done in a way that doesn’t feel as distinct & as enrichening as the first 6 tracks came across. If you listen to a track like “Nick” or “Ai Tchere Bele”, there’s a noticeable bounciness to the percussion, coming across in a way that almost feels sort of like an Irish jig – that energy is infectious, and even when it loops a little bit, you don’t feel it because it’s just fun. When this album slows down then, that sameyness feels more amplified, and the later tracks just didn’t hook me as well as a result. They’d probably feel great on their own, but as a flowing album experience, it just didn’t fully hit for me. I do think if I had proper translations of the lyrics in front of me (which I could not find to save my life), it could easily change my perspective of some of the atmosphere / tone of the back half of the album, but given that the first half carries itself so strongly from a musical standpoint, that shift in energy doesn’t come across as well to my ears. Don’t get me wrong: this is a *great* album. The issues I have with it are just down to personal taste; I highly recommend it regardless, and I’m very glad it’s on the list, because I certainly wouldn’t have found it otherwise. I’d love to keep this at a 4.5, but given that I found myself more disengaged for the back half of the album, solely from a musical standpoint, I think I’d be lying to myself if I bumped this up to a 5, hence the 4. A highly recommended 4 though.

Very enjoyable listen though I doubt I'll return to it. Appreciate the driving guitars, complex rhythms, and overall warm and boppy vibe. 3.3/5

I don't think I'll be listening to this album again. I'm not a desert blues kinda girl. But this challenge is to listen to new things so I'm glad I took time to experience it.

Cover 5 I fucking like this band! No idea what they're saying though. Desert Blues for the win. Awesome. Never knew there were blues music outside the U.S.

Very good stuff. Nothing really stands out, but there's some great guitar and vocals on every song.

Very cool. First track is a banger and the rest doesn't hold up quite as well, but this is something I really enjoyed. Would listen to it again, and plan on checking out some more of their music. Actually looked up their tour, I bet they're probably really good live but it doesn't look like they're headed to the States anytime soon.

This was great! 4 stars

This "desert blues" style of Afro-pop was new to me and I really enjoyed this. No need to understand the lyrics, the music communicates everything. Love this kind of introduction to something I wouldn't ordinarily listen to. Gritty, raw, and real

Very cool background to these guys and a very cool record. Felt Kuti/ Talking Heads vibes on some tracks, then you've got the electric blues and the traditional Malian music, makes for an engaging listening experience, really the kind of thing i like to hear on the list

Odd, not bad

Not typically my kind of thing, but this was fine, some interesting songs

It's always nice when this list veers away from the white anglo-americans males. Although most of the modernish picks I've encountered have not been great, this is pretty enjoyable. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? No Owned: No: 29/111 (23%) Will I get? No

Starts off really nice, but it just kind of immediately loses steam. It doesn't really go in any interesting direction, it just stays where it is. As an album it's pretty weak.

Dessert Blues... Mali Musicians in exile. But the music is a drum machine, a kind of guitar, and vocals.

Favorite track(s): Soubour, Irganda, Al Hassidi Terei

Not my music…

Blues rock with African language vocals. First track just grabs your attention, instruments so crisp and well-mixed and the vocals fit amazingly! Are there non-standard time signatures in Al Tchere Bele? 2nd half seems more traditional, folksy, with an acoustic, clean sound. Excellent technical playing and mix is so clear. Best track - Soubour, Irganda, Al Hassidi Terei, Jolie 4-5 stars, brilliant album with some amazing standout tracks. Fuck it, give it 5!

Ziemlich cool

This was an engaging listen - probably the best of any "world music" album so far on this project. Not sure something I would listen to regularly but enjoyable. 3/5

The album is so varied it is hard to pin down. It's the entire career of some rock groups in one work. There is a common thread of call and response in most of the songs, which grounds it, and the technical skill is obvious throughout.

4.50 every song was good will go back

Infectious rhythms

This is cool

I've become a songhoy boy

No mikäs ettei. Oli länsimaista saundia ja afrikkalaista tekstiä. Mitäänhän tästä ei ymmärrä mutta mukavaa ja duurivoittoista meininkiä!

Mega

6/10

Rating: 7.5/10

What a unique sound.

Today I learned that sharia law was imposed in northern Mali. The group Songhoy Blues--with three of four men named Touré, no relation--fled and brought us this gem of "desert blues," a fusion of American blues hooks and Malian grooves. I am here for it.

i must admit i do not "get" the blues (cue the line: you were not put on this earth to GET IT mister jack burton!!!), but that's not for lack of trying. in fact, i don't even need to lift a finger: i live with a blues superfan so i hear the blues on a regular basis whether i want to listen to it or not. i have a healthy respect for the genre and its history, but it tends to elicit the same feelings as when i'm listening to some acoustic set, and i happen to be the vice president of the incorrigible acoustic set hater club. but where i will totally write off paired down, sonically boring yet self-indulgent slop, i will otherwise nod and concede defeat to the blues: i don't quite understand, but maybe someday i will. well, today happened to be the day: music in exile brought out sounds and textures that absolutely resonated with me, and i'm glad i've finally been able to listen to something "bluesy" and not feel the need to grimace and hide my pain. i don't even know if i could articulate what it was about this album that made me like it more than others: because, it like, actually sounded good???? i dunno man... regardless: this was a real treat of an album. those first two songs were real barn burners if i'd ever heard em, though the rest of the album didn't quite reach the same high for me. but this is the kind of stuff i wanted to listen to starting 1001, so im a happy camper. great stuff!!! highlights - soubour, irganda, sekou oumaru, petit metier, jolie, mali

So incredibly good. Had never heard of them. Absolutely loved it.

Decent listen, but not my thing

Neat to hear blues in other languages, but it got repetitive not understanding lyrics

Music I'm unfamiliar with, but really enjoyable: great sound, great rhythm.

Very unique and compelling, if slightly repetitive. 4.

very bouncy rhythm, you dont hear stuff like this much in America. something new for me, I enjoyed it

Excellent listen

i think i am very simply not a blues guy. favorite song is probably Ai Tchere Bele (slaps), Mali is also lovely and sad. good shit

i dont think modern blues are for me ? sorry world

Rating: 6/10 An album that may be on this essential list for its cultural significance rather than being a ‘top 1000 albums ever’ kinda thing. These Afro-blues rock songs are definitely not bad but the genre isn’t really my thing and this probably isn’t something I’m going to return to ever

3.9/10 2 listens, decent vibe but ain't it for me, nothing that makes me want to come back to it

Cool funky vibe. Feel like the message or emotion is lost with the language barrier. I give it 3 Mali out of 10 lizard wizards

The reason I started this list was to find gems like this.

banger story but music only okay

Not exactly my musical style but hey, these guys are heroes! What kind of country BANS music?? The kind that definitely is asking for resistance, and Songhoy Blues serves it up right!

Upbeat funk with hints of country, rock and blues. Feels like a western movie got transported into Africa.

50/50.

This is a great album! It has some lovely peaks and is musically interesting. So many of the albums on this list sound virtually the same it's refreshing to hear something different.

Amazing foreign blues

interessante

I’m glad I read the Wikipedia first, wouldn’t have liked it that much without it. Last track was my favorite

Really good music with interesting vocals. 4 stars or B.

New sound for me. Really liked it.

Fun

¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Vaya racha que llevo.

Very enjoyable! American style blues slips into that boogie reminiscent to Fela Kuti.

A blues based album I liked! If I may re-use my review of The Clash: "I have no idea what these blokes are saying, but I like their style!"

This is why I'm here

I'm giving this 5 because it was the first album that reminded why I did this in the first place- new to me, vibrant, exciting

Enjoyable. Nice vibes but did turn into background music after a while. Bet these guys are mint live.

Fab album and a nice change. Not my very favourite thing, and defo in the 'somewhere between 3 and 4 lands', but I think over halfway.

4 - BAD

This was fine, just not my cup of tea.

So fucking good

a lot better than i was expecting

Well, as many others have said, this is exactly what this list is about. An album I would have never otherwise found and very enjoyable. I wonder if these things are more valued when they take on a Western slant, as opposed to to representing a particular culture completely (as with some other low rating albums on the list). Really great musicianship and structure. Very talented and really well arranged too. A nice mix of the traditional Mali vocals and parts, alongside the traditional blues. Very glad to have been able to hear this and love its quality and originality.

Solid 3 - 3.5

Unique story to this one, and a real cool album. Great sounding and very listenable. Fun instrumentals and rhythms.

full of tracks that are fun and unique. not something i would choose to listen to all the time but it's always enjoyable when i do listen to this type of music. the meaning and themes behind the album is amazing too. 'sekou oumarou' will forever be remembered as the song i was listening to when i managed to secure last minute hayley williams tickets after two days of incessantly refreshing ticketmaster

4.0 One of the 'redacted' (removed from future versions) albums - this is unfortunate as "world music" is underrepresented on this list and one of the reasons I've embraced this challenge. Surprisingly good. Not speaking Songhai I have no idea what the lyrics are but I assume they are strongly political. Many songs (including a titled song) include Mali. I believe they are technically Tadaksahak speakers which is a dialect of Songhai but their beats and hooks come through beautifully. I found myself singing in Tadaksahak.

Low-key vibes? 3,75

really enjoyed the music of it

Not really much to say about this album to be quite honest. It’s a nice folk blues album and that’s it. I found the story about the groups inception much more interesting than the music itself.

Like the background music in every movie that shows a safari or nature view in Africa.

Love the guitar tone! Solid blues. The story of the album made me want to like it before I even got started

AWESOME!!!

It was good. Interesting music. Don’t know if I’d listen to it all the time.

I had the absolute pleasure of hearing Songhoy Blues on the tour promoting this album and, amazing as it is here in it's recorded format, as a live proposition these guys are a phenomenon. Biased because I saw them live, perhaps, but what a gorgeous fusion of desert sounds and rock this album is.

A lot of great grooves and tones. Very fun.

very very fun

Nope

Less blusier that I've expected. I don't like world music, but this was a nice listen. Not sure I will return to it often though

not bad

soubour - oh shit that guitar riff at the beginning hell yea brother - vocals hell yea claps hell yea GUITAR HELL YEAH loving this - perfect movie intro song irganda - vocal style is so sick omg - god the instruments are so good Al Hassidi Terei - these guitar riffs just dont quit each song has had a bangin riff - love the singing all together - sound reminds me a bit of the end of the f***ing world soundtrack Sekou Oumarou - oooh a little slower than the others so far - didn't pop off like i expected but its alright Nick - ooh hell yea makes me want to drive around in a convertible on a hot day Ai Tchere Bele - ooh slow intro that gets absolutely fuuuunky - the rhythm in this one is dope Wayei - ooh the vocalizations in this one are cool - also like the guitar riff (although all of them have been banging so far really haha) Petit Metier - ooh acoustic guitar and vocals only so far - guitar again giving me very graham coxon vibes - vocals too - OOH hell yea when the drum/electric guitar and backing vocals come in Jolie - slower, some kind of intrument holding the beat that goes "cuh-tchk", v chill - popped off a bit more at the end nice Desert Melodie - god this guitarist is incredible love it sm - v chill Mali - acoustic + vocals only, melody reminds me a bit of jose gonzales - beautiful ending AWESOME love the entire vibe of this. funky, smooth, groovy- amazing album. no notes 10/10

The type of band i would never had discovered except by here! What a blues treasure.

Really cool album. Great guitar work, good vocals, pretty good songwriting. The history behind the music is amazing. The band is a literal group of Malian exiles. Favorite songs: Mali, Soubour, Nick.

Can't understand the singing in their native Songhai but musically alone it is great

Delightful world, music, well crafted, and produced

Really great jams and instrumentation. Especially the guitar heavy tracks

This is good but a bit samey and play by numbers. Hard to knock because of the nature of the album but its not an easy listen. Bit plodding unfortunately.

Excellent! 👌

1. Soubour - 7 Really good guitar play on this track. Beat on this track is also fantastic. It's just a super fun listen. 2. Irganda - 6 The vocals on this and the guitar sounds nice but the beat just makes the track sound like it's a little too fast paced and rushed. 3. Al Hassidi Terei - 6 The quicker parts are very good while the slower parts are repetitive in the lyrics. Brilliant guitar on the track as well. 4. Sekou Oumarou - 4 There's not a lot to this track. Vocally it's very good but instrumentally it's a little bit stale. 5. Nick - 9 Brilliant track. The guitars sound so good and I love how the signing goes from lead to the group in unison and back to the lead absolutely flawlessly. Superb. 6. Ai Tchere Bele - 5 The lyrics sound a little overpowered by the guitar on this track. The sound is still good but it's just hard to get into the rhythm of the track. 7. Wayei (feat. Kaira Arby) - 5 It's a bit repetitive at times. Bit of a pass over track. Sounds good, but just goes on for a little bit to long. 8. Petit Metier - 6 Decent slower song that builds nicely into a decent sound. Lyrically it falls off a bit but it's not all too bad. An okay track. 9. Jolie - 6 Another slow burner that builds well. It's a decent track. The sound at the end is brilliant and made the track worth the wait in the built up to the end. 10. Desert Melodie - 5 I understand the significance of a track like this but I do think there are significantly better tracks on the album. Overall not bad but not as enjoyable a sound as what is on the front of the album. 11. Mali - 6 Good sound to end the album. The vocal exploration of range on this track is the highlight. Average Rating: 5.91 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.95 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

My God, incredible! I always get excited when I see a band I'm not familiar with because I love discovering new music and this one did not disappoint. Really cool blend of genres with some seriously fun riffs. The instrumentation is fantastic. The vocals are amazing too because they are, for me, unexpected against the underlying music. After listening the first time, I researched the story and history. What an interesting story. All the people eating it poorly because they cannot understand the language are likely the reason I'm living under the rule of Trump, who for reasons literate people find befuddling, they find to be a "genius". The US is victim to its own isolation and the inability of people to experience different cultures. One of my favorite discoveries from the project so far.

Sourbour

Day 65 Another brilliant album I would never have listened to without this website. 9/10 Highlights Soubour Irganda Petit Metier

Really cool . Saved to my list

Like the music, but I don't understand the words

Great Mali/West-African blues rock.

I enjoyed this album, but it definitely is indicative of US/UK critics uplifting overseas artists that have ties to existing US/UK acts. This album was pretty good, but I was hoping for something with a bit more edge to it. Those are my tastes though, I'm sure others will be spinning this for years.

10/16/25. Absolutely love this sound and what I believe the cool use of cross-rhythms in a number of the songs. Each song wants to make me move!

A good one 👍

Loved this except for track one. What in the Toyota Hilux commercial was that?

Let’s get this corrected right off the bat: this is not “World Music.” Songhoy Blues are a blues rock band in the style of like a Stevie Ray Vaughn, it’s just the lyrics are in their native Malian tongue. I really really enjoyed this one. They are all about the art of the electric guitar, and man can they play the hell out it. Really difficult to not move my body to the grooves while here at my desk. I will definitely be looking out for these guys to tour in the future, as I feel listening to this in a club would be fantastic. Read up on their story, too, as they have persevered through a ton of hardship to get their music out to the world to try to uplift their war-torn community. Just two meh songs toward the end of the record keep it from the almighty 5, but this is a very strong 4/5. Give em a listen!

Second song was nice listening on the train. Nice for getting West African vibes (a bit like Youssou N’Dour). Overall nothing special.

Meh

Every once in a while some foreign music gets some recognition in the West. And I don’t mean music from Japan or Korea, I mean from somewhere that most people probably wouldn’t have heard of. Usually it has to have some sort of story behind it, so Music in Exile fits the bill completely. The opening track, Soubour, was recorded as part of a compilation album led by the music missionaries of the Africa Express, and whilst the other ten tracks can match its blues brilliance, none can surpass its statement. These guys were forced to move from the north of Mali when Jihadists banned music. In Bamako they concocted this forty minute demonstration of blues rock of the kind that is often seen coming out of North and West Africa. By that metric, there’s nothing much new in here. But by the metric of cool, there’s a whole lot to appreciate, because if these guys are anything, they’re fucking cool.

Amusant !

funky

This one was super cool, I don't really have much to say outside of it being a good vibe and something I probably wouldn't come back to but enjoyed listening to

Forgot everything about this one since I listened to it, must have been mid

Super

Don’t understand why I needed to listen to this before I die

crazy story behind this band, and some really cool music

Incredible story

Very interesting record. I cannot really give this a fair review since the cultural difference and differences in language make it hard to fully grasp what this record is about. Yet it’s so cool to hear these blues tracks with all these inspirations and inputs that are far beyond my knowledge. You can hear how this is different from your regular American blues and I love that’s it’s so easy so hear that difference. Loved the guitar play and the vocals were great, especially all those half notes mixed in there. Not something I would really come back to, yet still glad I got to experience this and make it a part of my musical knowledge and feeling!

It was a good listen. It's the kind of thing that made me want to do this album a day . I would probably never have heard it otherwise. While I did dig it, it's not one of those things I'd probably seek out to listen again. Though if I were on the streets in Mali and heard this band playing from a venue nearby, I'd definitely check it out. 3.5

I listened to this one before. The cover might trick you. This is some blues based rock from Mali and it is really interesting because it mixes the blues with some African beats and instruments.

Very cool stuff here. Takes blues conventions and african conventions - real repetitive loopy guitar, mordents, chants etc and mushes them together for something not new exactly, but nice.

It's unsurprising how natural African rock music feels, considering that Western rock was born out of African traditions. This album is pretty great, and there's a really fascinating story behind it. Favorite track: "Sekou Oumarou"

Vibrant, funky album! Great to have on in the background while doing chores

Really cool stuff. Super great background music i loved the grooves

Music rocks, just awesome guitar playing and it grooves so hard. Hard to get me properly into an album when I don’t understand the lyrics but this rocked. 3.5

very nice rhythms and very enjoyable melodies.

This album is just easy to listen to. And after a listen, I read the story of the group and how the album name fits in. I'm glad we have the chance to hear this group.

I guess their exile, my gain.

These guys have a lot of talent. Cool light rock / blues vibe from these artists from Africa.

I signed up for this service three days ago. And this is the third blues album that has been recommended. And I hate the blues. At least this isn't derivative, overly noodly, guitar showoffs. It gets two stars for that.

Pretty rocking! Didn’t really hit me emotionally because of the language barrier. But these guys are good!

I knew I was going to enjoy this album in the first 18 seconds. Greats suggestion.

Greta album.

A very enjoyable listen. It's a great fusion of sounds which is welcoming yet fresh to my ears. Will be returning to this at some point.

Wow there are definitely some classic rock sounds here, even some nods to the Beatles, all overlaid by the hypnotic Malian singing. Couldn’t understand a single word. Interesting!

Different but good

Loved this. It has a wonderful energy, a quiet power and some fascinating, hypnotic rhythms bringing a different flavour to the blues. Really glad to know it; can't think of anything wrong with it.

4/10 - Not my style, but not bad. Being called “desert blues” I can see how it would be best fit to listen to on a walk-through west Africa. The band being from Mali and singing in Songhai seems fitting, although it’s not my cup of tea, it was quite a pleasant an unique listen.

I don't know much about African music, but these dudes rock.

Hmm. The blues, born of African music, returns to Africa. Fascinating. I genuinely have never heard anything quite like this. I was thinking three at first, but four is calling.

I was torn a bit by this album. I enjoyed some of the songs, and the guitar was excellent in places, but ultimately it pretty much sounded like a North African guitar band. And, to be overly reductive, there is a pretty common North African guitar band sound, and this wasn't a particularly transcendent version of that. So, yeah, it was fine.

I like this style of music and have listened to some Ali Farka Toure records and Mdou Moctar. It was cool to hear a different take on desert blues, but no tracks really grabbed me and I’m not super sure I will revisit this.

this Desert Blues is good stuff!