Music in Exile

A few weeks back we had an album by Ali Farka Touré that fused Malian folk with American blues. Cool to hear a more recent band pick up on what he was doing and continue the style. Songhoy Blues have a slightly more modern rock sound. (“Nick” has a crunchy beat and blues riff that reminds me of the Black Keys.) I love how a lot of these songs sound like they’re in forward motion. This would be great driving music because the songs already feel like they’re flying down the highway.

Really good. Desert Blues!

So, who else knew that Malian blues would be their thing? Not me that’s for sure but this is absolutely wicked!

One never knows quite how to feel about music from other cultures, but there's an awful lot to like here. Vocals that engage and haunt, by seeming deep, authentic and committed. The gritty Malian blues seem rooted in another era. One could hear quite a good bit of this.

Interesting blues from another country.

HL: "Soubour", "Irganda", "Nick", "Petit Metier", "Desert Melodie" Dope At first I was worried it would be standard modern blues rock a la Black Keys, but it combines it with the jangly, soulful guitar playing you hear in Ali Farka Touré in a really appealing way- add some danceable rhythms from both African & North American influences, and you have this. April 28, 2023

Pretty cool African folk/blues/rock

"Music in Exile" is the debut album by the West African Mali band Songhoy Blues. The band had to flee their home in northern Mali when radical Islamists (banning alcohol, music, cigarettes) overran the area to the southern cityand capital of Bamako. Following an audition, the band was introduced to producer Marc Antoine Moreau and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zenner who ended up producing this album. A great description of their music is blending American guitar licks with Malian grooves. Desert blues, blues rock and Afro rock. Yeah, this does not fall in the world music genre. The band is composed of four members, Garba Touré, Aliou Touré, Oumar Touré and Nathanael Dembélé. They are not brothers believe it or not. The album received wide spread critical acclaim. A bluesy rhythm and lead guitar with a stomping beat begin "Soubour." Sung in their native language, I think. The music sounds a lot like Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." Oh, yeah...they pick up the beat in "Irganda." Less blues, more Afro rhythm and chanting. A good comp is Talikg Heads' "Fear of Music" era. A soft blues guitar background in "Sekou Oumarou." Great lead tenor vocals as well as backing vocals. Now the desert blues description makes perfect sense in "Nick." Just a killer bluesy groove. This song would not be out of place on an early 70's Stones, ZZ Top or John Lee Hooker album. The album ends with the song "Mali." An acoustic guitar strumming. Passionate singing about their home country. This is a very good album especially the first half. A dominant bluesy guitar and tremendous groove at times. Most of these songs would not sound out of place in the 70's and 80's American/British rock/blues scene.

Really liked it, nice sounds

didn't understand a word of it, but it was a hell of a blues groove

What a strong album! Desert Blues is something else! Literally having to leave their homes from a civil war! Unfortunately do not know the language but from what I’ve read has to be very powerful for what they went thru and the music behind it! Great album!

I'm sure this music would have an extra level of impact if I understood the language. Really good grooves

Garba, Aliou and Oumar Toure (no relation despite sharing a surname) left their home near Timbuktu, Mali in 2012, after occupation by a jihadist group named Ansar Dine who were imposing Sharia law over the north of the country. The ban on music (!) forced the three Toures and fellow musician Nathanael Dembele out of their homes to Bamako in South Mali, where they later formed a band. “Music in Exile” was released three years later. I‘m not sure I’ve ever read a more compelling background for any artist. Songhoy Blues play music as a means of resistance, music as an act of joy, and music as an irrepressible way of life. As such, “Music in Exile” crackles and glows with energy. The band recorded it with the guitarist of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and grew up on American rock, so there are clear Western influences here (apparently an unfortunate pre-requisite for any “world music” act making it onto the 1001 list). But Songhoy Blues’ brand of music seamlessly incorporates Malian grooves and Afrobeat, giving them the edge over US-based blues groups I’ve heard in the past. If car companies caught wind of “Soubour” they’d surely be tripping over themselves to use it in every TV advert they possibly could. It’s brittle, tough blues rock and a perfect opening. “Sekou Oumarou” is in a similar vein: hypnotic and lean with a touch of menace, no messing around. The Afrobeat-leaning “Irganda” is even better: a propulsive beat, handclaps, chanting vocals, a kitchen sink of percussion, restless skittering rhythm guitar. It’s a delight, and my favourite track here: if anything might push “Music in Exile” to a five star album, it would be more of “Irganda”. The rest is perfectly enjoyable, though, as we’re treated to the driving bluesy shuffle of “Nick”, some excellent rhythmic see-sawing in “Al Hassidi Terei”, and a masterclass in quietly building intensity with “Jolie”. There’s also good stylistic variation: “Wayei” drops the tempo and leads things in a more lilting direction before the first minute of “Petit Metier”- and later the whole of closer “Mali”- drop to just acoustic guitar and vocals. These aren’t as thrilling as some of the other songs, but I appreciate the breathers. “Music in Exile” is fierce, passionate, relentless, vital. The layered vocals are a force of nature, and the guitar tones could take on the world. The language barrier hardly matters here: the backstory and vitality of the music speaks for itself.

nice funky tunes that even though I don't understand the lyrics I can still vibe with the feel and emotions

I didn't expect a blues album from Mali on this list! And especially I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Although I couldn't understand anything they said or sang, I absolutely loved the atmosphere and beats of this album. By reading a little about the context of "Music in Exile", one could actually feel some connection to the boys from Mali. It's a tragic thing, to be forced to flee from your own home, so kudos to them to stick to their guns and record an amazing album, which probably kept up the spirit of many people alike to Songhoy Blues.

A conhecer nova opção de audição do blues do deserto. Não está na lista do tuareg vibes, mas funciona muito bem com as melodias e guitarras.

This is kinda funky. I dig it.

I really enjoyed this one, surprisingly good sound and vocals

Very good

Make me think to Tinariwen, good.

Couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying, but I was certainly bopping the entire time. Downright pleasant time. 4/5

Forgot to listen to most of it, but really enjoyed what I did hear! They're from Mali, by the way, for quick reference.

The best thing to come out of Mali since Jimmy Kebe. A very listenable blend of blues music and African male vocal harmonies from a group of musicians exiled from Timbuktu. Apparently the genre is 'desert blues'. I like it and would listen to more. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Nick Date listened: 06/03/23

This one surprised me. Loved the twangy guitar licks, and although I don't understand a word they're saying, the singing was excellent as well.

I love finding new music and this was great find. Will be going back to this one some more.

This is a perfect example of why I suffer through Bjork and Neneh Cherry albums to be part of this exploration of the 1001 Albums... I would never have chosen to listen to this but for coming up in the random generator. I’m very glad it came up. Even though I didn’t understand a word, I enjoyed every track. The vocals, the rhythms and time signature, musicianship,… everything. I will be returning to this record. And I immediately listened to their subsequent records.

This really surprised me. Enjoyed it the whole way through without understanding a word of it.

First half to 2/3s of the album really caught my attention. Which is hard when I can't understand the lyrics. However the last bit started to drag a little bit. It's a 3.5, but I'll round up to 4 just because I was so surprised by how much I liked the start of it.

I really dig this. Solid blues riffs and interesting melodies. There’s a simplicity to it that was intriguing to me.

very cool. great expansion of my musical tastes

Filled with so much personality. There is a Strokes level of charm that just oozes through the music. The funky basslines and the punchiness of the percussion create such a perfectly woven structure for the album. It’s just so wonderfully arranged. This is an album that’s completely in its element and rejoices in that fact. Truly just put together in such a cohesive way, how lovely!!! Faves: Al Hassidi Terei, Soubour, Ai Tchere Bele, Nick, Petit Metier

I really enjoyed this.

I've never heard of Songhoy Blues or any of the music on Music in Exile. The energy in the opening track "Soubour" hooked my interest. "Al Hassidi Terei" and "Nick" were similar energy tracks with interesting guitar licks and hooky rhythms that reached out beyond the language of the lyrics. I would be interested in hearing more from this band.

https://twitter.com/reactionvideos_/status/1099815546374311938?s=46&t=ClN2DgjeuhkS5Uirs5vxjg

Pretty good album. Definitely listen to again. Nice blues soon, lots of rhythm.

Loved reading about the backstory of this album, super cool. Of course I wish I could understand the lyrics but this was solid.

Loved this

This album was really great!! My favorite track was Nick. Thought the guitar was nice on that one. Happy to have found something new that was so fresh and enjoyable.

A really interesting fusion of rock and African sounds. I don't think I'd seek it out again, but I'm glad I listened to it twice.

4/5 I really liked this album. It's very similar to Ali Farka Touré's sound. It was cool to see that one of them is the son of his drummer. I love the rhythms and how the music sounds. It's really positive and peaceful for me. I like foreign language music cause I can have my own thoughts and daydream about things. Sometimes I look up what it means and think about the general idea of the song when listening to the music. I like learning about the history and area that the music is from. Cause I'm a nerd and pedantic and pretentious. 🤨🤓🧐

Really like the album, especially its instrumentals. Based on the description, I'm curious about the meaning of the lyrics, but I couldn't easily find a translation / explanation. I think having that would've added to the experience a lot. This isn't the type of music I would usually find on my own, I hope to get more albums like this. The songs I liked the most were Soubour, Irganda and Nick. Besides these, I really liked the way Mali felt a lot more subdued than the others.

This is right up my alley. Love the driving guitar and percussion, it exudes joy. 4/5.

Joyful music. Milan music with a western guitar flare. Highly listenable.

Unfortunately rare, but this is essentially what I come here for. Something completely outside my scope that makes me stop and listen. The guitar work is awesome and the rhythms are tight. I don't rely on lyrics to define a song so not understanding the lyrics is not a problem for me. The vocalists become other instruments. It gets to the heart of the song. This introduction to Songhoy Blues is appreciated, I can feel this. But only for the first 7 or 8 songs. I kinda get lost around there. But hey, I'm the foreigner, it's bound to happen. I do really love the sound of this band and will be listening to other work to get a better picture of what's going on here.

Ali Farka Toure vibes, relaxed albumpje uit Mali

uau, Mali blues , amazing roots!

Didn't understand a word those boys were singing, but really enjoyed the tune and listening to their voices.

This was a pleasent surprise. I enjoyed every song of the album, of course Blues is not my go to music so towards the end my attention was kinda drifting away. But the music was great, I can totally see myself going back to this album in the future.

Etno, rocky, but not boring at all

Experts in their craft. Couldn’t find a bad thing to say other than I’m not a fan of blues music.

The opening track on Music In Exile, begins with a blast, tasty guitar sounds of upbeat blues! It settles into a satisfying album of interesting songs and musical stylings I rarely have heard. The only drawback is I wish I understood the lyrics and the meaning of the songs since it isn't sung in English, but it's well sung and doesn't detract too much. I wouldn't have otherwise heard this, if not for this list, thanks! I will listen again.

Parts of this album are totally incendiary

Enjoyed this. First time for me for this group, though I have earlier Tinariwen album which is similar. I don't understand why people complain or downgrade records that aren't in English?! Climb out of your burrow. Isn't music meant to transcend language, and isn't the point of this project to discover new stuff?

I really like this album.

Awesome

Al Hassidi Terei går så hhårt jeez louiizzze gitarren låter som en loopad del av en beefheart track, Petit Metier är också banger, resten fastnade inte på samma sätt men bra

Ja kommer så gott som alltid rocka me någo som int e på engelska

Kova

spotify describes this band as desert blues and that’s a wonderful description. their music is fun to listen to and I like they’re instrumentation and production style a lot.

I just finished teaching a unit on the history of West Africa and the Songhai empire to my middle school students. One of the questions they were asked was how musical and oral traditions have kept their culture alive through the past centuries. I wish I had had this album to use to really demonstrate this connection between past and present because it speaks to both so well. And it jams. Really good!

Interesting progressive modernized roots-blues with African flavour, rhythm and lyrics.

Mali <3

I enjoyed this album. Even though I don't understand the lyrics, I found the album fun to listen to. The guitar playing is quite a different style from the other albums I've listened to, so this album stands out a lot from the rest. Favorite song: Soubour Worst song: Mali

You can't stop the music. Nobody can stop the music.

and this is what the blues are for in 2022

Its very hooky. its not that sort of stuck in the muck blues style. It actually feels like its going somewhere, about something. Ai Tchere Bele has some crazy polyrythmisim going on. That was good!

This is what this list should be about. How else am I going to encounter Malian dessert blues? (Although I think I've seen this group on the NPR tiny desks concert list) I agree with the other sentiments here about how the language barrier is a bit tough. Normally that isn't a problem, but given the history of this band and the ongoing war, it's a shame I don't quite know what they are saying.

Remarkably good blues players. It's so unique and unusual to hear what ultimately sounds like really good American blues with lyrics in a foreign language. I think what I like most about this is the blending of the two elements fits naturally. Too often musicians try to force two or more styles together for the sake of being different or unique and end up with something that doesn't work. Too often they're looking for the next peanut butter and bananas but end up with peanuts and banana flavored gum.

Big vibe

I think the instrumentals can be seen as generic blues rock that’s nothing to write home about, but the combination with traditional African music styles makes this a really cool and unique listen

Bluesy, lush, and emotional

“Desert blues,” a genre I didn’t know existed. Love it. Guitar driven, American blues influenced but very African. Great stuff.

Pleasantly surprised. Very relaxing.

I will admit the language barrier makes it harder but this is very good 4/5.

I always enjoy when I come across these Desert Blues albums from Africa when listening to the various album lists. Definitely a world I want to hear more from. There is something really cool about hearing Western blues and rock influences being integrated back with the African music that forms a lot of the black music tradition in the states (obviously a big over simplification there, but hopefully you know what I mean).

This album was delightful. Not at all what I was expecting to hear going into it. Favorite track: Irganda

4 in a row! What a great streak. Love this album (their later stuff is great too - well worth diving into!). Along with the likes of Tinariwen and Imarhan, it’s ridiculous to think of how much bluesy/pysch/rock talent has come out of this region.

Good, but a little repetitive in style

thought this was a real good afropop album

Enjoyed it, but the language difference knocks a star off

I know I’m a bit late with this one (since it was yesterday’s album) but COVID has been wiping me out. But better late than never! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Soubour, Nick Have you ever heard alt rock blues from Mali? I’ll be up front and say that I had not. They sing entirely in Songhai which I don’t understand, so I can’t really comment on the lyrics. What I can say though, is you can hear the passion and feeling I’m the singing, and the music itself is excellent. I’m honestly unsure of any bands to compare them to in order to give you an idea of how they sound. If you are a fan of blues music though, definitely give Music In Exile a listen. They’ll definitely be staying in my music library.

Sweet, another one I've never heard of. These are honestly ones that I look forward to the most. Intro guitar has a really nice tone. What language is this? Definitely going to look it up. Gah damn, that guitarist is putting in work toward the end of Soubour. Irganda picks up right away and the bass at the ends slaps, I'm really enjoying this album so far! Very enjoyable, love the last track, Mali. What a gem, this album is.

Extremely interesting album. Catchy, well written and a real hidden gem. The language difference wasn't a problem at all.

repetible

Held my attention from start to finish. Great sound.

Wow the guitar work is awesome. I hear Dan Auerbach in spite of the fact that everything else is very much African.

This album blew me away & I can’t wait to listen to more from them. Love some global blues!

A pleasant listen, very much hear Ali Farka Toure in it. Wish I understood the language, seems like they have quite a story to tell being forced out of their homes during civil conflict.

Amazing guitar work. Very enjoyable from start to finish.

After reading Wikipedia, I'm sure this album has great potential to be classical in the future. Mainly for the band members' history and their musical qualities because I think it is pretty hard to be established in the jazz/blues/rock industry without singing in English.

SOLID!

I really loved bits of this, it was music that felt like it had real joy and real stakes to it. Some real hard-thumping desert blues.

Ok, this was really cool. I had never heard of them before but from the opening of the first song I knew I was into them. And their story? Incredible. I love foreign music so I will definitely be revisiting this.

Lidt Mali Music men mere rocket i det. Overraskende groovy. Bedste var umiddelbart “Soubour” og “Sekou Oumauro”. Måske værd at lytte til dem

Very enjoyable blues, and prompts a great spotify radio

nice music, listened mostly as background music but I enjoyed the rhythms and the album all the way through. 3.7

Top notch tunes and brilliant musicianship make for some compelling blues music in exile from Timbuktu. Powerful stuff, great listen.

I enjoyed this. Well-produced bluesy fusion of geographical styles.

This is actually really cool. I think I would enjoy this live. The one thing that makes it not 5 stars for me is the different language. So much of music for me is the lyrics so I really want to hear what they are saying. I really like the call and response type lyrics. My favorite is Sekou Oumarou

Good riffs, good vocals, solid album.

I love this

Closer to 3.75 stars, interesting world music

Well worthwhile listening to. Most of the album is fairly traditional blues with an touch of Mali, but there are a couple of tracks at the end that seem to be more traditional Malian music (I guess as I don't have a lot of experience of the music from there). The vocals are smoother than Blues would normally have but they work, I will probably look for some more of their work

No había acabado la intro de la primera rola y ya me estaba gustando. Ese blues con letra en un lenguaje que no entiendo me llamó mucho la atención. Y luego el disco sigue muy bien, combinando música tradicional africana con blues de una forma muy agradable. El problema es que sí se vuelve un poco largo. Para cuando estaba en la última rola, la verdad ya tenía baja atención y estaba pensando en qué escuchar después. En fin, creo que sin broncas le alcanza para la 4 estrella.

Great tunes! Unfortunately, I can't deal with the unknown language.

Really enjoyed this one

I thought this was so great - really easily listening but totally rad blues. Will look up more about this band!

I've definitely listened to this before and really liked it. I thought it was through doing this list but obviously not! Loved it!

Immediately exiled from the book after one edition! That's harsh, and somehow symbolic. The world doesn't care, but likes to appear that it does, then quietly undo everything when people aren't looking. And so many garbage albums that outlived their relevance years ago remain. Yes, David Grey. Anyway, this is really good. To be fair, there's quite a lot of excellent desert blues and whatnot floating around these days if you listen out for it. Which is a great thing. This is a good example of it.

Nice

Soubour is a classic, Wayei great desert-trance, Petit Metier beautiful, and great finish with Desert Melodie and Mali <3

Songhoy enters the legendary Mali music scene and somehow finds themselves at home from the very first strum.

My review, a breakdown: - music is really cool, unconventional blues-type stuff: 1 point - making it into the 1001 list despite not being from the UK: 1 point - best album I've ever heard from Mali: 1 point - cover looks like a gay porno: 1 point 4/5.

Really awesome African blues. I'm digging it a lot. I'm surprised this is the first I've heard of it.

Fantastic! A contemporary album from a Mali-based group with original-sounding guitar-centric bluesy music with its own flavor and style? Hecks, YES. This album is outstanding. I'll definitely listen to it again and I'm off to go explore their other music. Beautiful guitar work, fascinating groove, and I want to know more.

KUL med något som inte är från väst! Även om det är tråkigt att det ska krävas en expedition från Damon Albarn, en signering med Julian Casablancas bolag, och en plats i en antologi till 99% fylld med västerländsk musik innan det når mig. Men, tacksam är jag ändå! För, Songhoy Blues från Bamako, Mali, är otroliga! En mix av klassisk rock, blues, och (säkert) traditionella västafrikanska sounds som jag kan för lite om för att göra någon sorts djupare kommentar. Bra är det. RIVSTARTAR med 'Soubour' (vars tunga riffs bitvis för mina tankar till Pattis 'Ain't it Strange') och fortsätter i samma höga tempo med härliga 'Irganda'. På spår tre höjs nivån ytterligare, och 'Al Hassidi Terei' har fantastiska 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'-vibbar i de långsammare partierna. Bredvid de tre öppningslåtarna är 'Petit Metier' det bästa på albumet. Lite ömmare, lättare, akustiskarareare, och vakcrare. Bästa låt: Petit Metier.

This was great.

Really cool album! Not a band I'm familiar with, but I was often reminded of Mdou Moctar's Afrique Victime from a couple years ago. Definitely a similar desert rock vibe, although this one veers into more traditional rock and roll style sometimes, which is interesting. Overall a great project to throw on and lose track of time. I always enjoy getting something on this list that isn't from America or England. Favorite tracks: Al Hassidi Terei, Ai Tchere Bele, Petit Metier. Album art: Just a few guys hanging out, as most bands begin. The text is nice, but it's a very simple cover. 4/5

Pretty sure I've heard this before while looking into African music on Spotify. I also recommend Mdou Moctar to anyone who enjoyed this. Language barrier? I don't care! I just like the way their voices and guitars sound. The singer could be hexing my entire family for all I know. Look at that cover. These guys are better than you and they know it. Four outta five.

Nice

I liked hearing how an American genre of music was translated to another continent and sung in a different language. Though I did not understand the lyrics, the music underneath was unquestionably the blues.

This rocks!

Råtungt

Onaj zadnji je još bolji. Poslušaj

Not the album I expected at all. Absolutely superb. The guitar playing is exceptional.

Really good rockin' blues.

I probably wouldn't listen to this again but it was really good

Blues with Mali heritage mixed with 60s rock influences. What a great surprise and listen!

A great listen.

A blues/folk/rock/word music band. I actually like it.

Pleasant, light desert blues album with a fascinating story behind it. Music by Songhoy Blues feels pure and has harmonies not affected by Old World's school. A surprise, but a welcome one.

Great guitars, interesting back-story, lovely voice. No clue what the lyrics are, but I'm sure they're great too.

vraiment bien aimé. C'est certain qu'il y a une influence Talkin' timbuktu de Ali farka toure et Ry cooder, même si il se dissocie un peu avec le son plus groové blues. 4

Great work, generator. Not only is this the perfect soundtrack for while I’m in Africa (not Mali, but still); I also listened to it just the other day. I’ll happily listen to it again though. The seductive grooves, guitar riffs and group vocals are a delight. A very enjoyable and evocative listen, even if I can’t understand the words.

This is really excellent. Great mix of the energetic and the laid back, with some solid guitar work. Loved it. Fave Songs: Sekou Oumarou, Petit Metier, Desert Melodie, Weyei, Jolie, Nick, Soubour

Also highly recommend Mdou Moctar if you like this stuff!

bão

dlv

Mali blues!

Really enjoyed this. I wish I could follow / understand the lyrics, but really enjoyed the mood and energy of this throughout. Will definitely play again.

Kakav cover, čudo. Ja sjedim, lijevo je Ivan ili desno ili zapravo on sjedi jer nemaju baš kose, a ja sam onaj iza, naslonjen, a ostatak si sami popunite. Rekao bih Tomi i Zvono, ali ono, može i Anita i Jura. ne vjerujte coveru što se tiče glazbe.

Nisam očekivo ovo s coverom, super haahahah

Really enjoyed the beats in this album even if I couldnt understand the lyrics. I wasn't sure how to describe the kind of music until I read the Wikipedia and they called it "desert blues," which really fits. Knowing their story makes the music all the more impactful. Great album.

There’s more authenticity on this single LP than all of last year’s Top 40 releases combined. While not breaking any new ground musically, Songhoy are playing directly from the heart with all the chops needed to back it up. Exceedingly rare to hear music made simply for expressions sake, and though this may be ‘just’ a blues-inspired rock album it’s a damn good listen when all is said and done.

A great blues album with some great licks

Great surprise. First track was a banger.

Definitely a unique genre, first time hearing anything from desert blues. Should check out the pioneering artist as well.

gott shit, sofnaði harkalega við hlustun numer 1 og eg set hana kannski aftur i gang braðum við svipaðar aðstæður, liked it a lot

Great music but language barrier makes it difficult to listen to easily

Entretenido, diferente. Tranquilo

A very pleasant album with rolling grooves and plenty of nifty guitar work. The songs are a bit repetitive which mostly works but now and again the songs outstay their welcome. As I've said before, one of the problems of non-English singing I have no idea what the songs are about. On the whole though, was a really enjoyable album.

Good quality music

No idea what they're on about, but I liked listening to this

I've only been exposed to a little Malian and Tuareg "desert blues," but I've enjoyed the style every time and "Music in Exile" is more of the same great mixture of guitar and African rhythms and percussion. The story behind this group and album is powerful too, fleeing extremists in northern Mali who banned music and keeping their traditional sounds alive first in Bamako and later in the US and the UK, working with Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, and opening for Alabama Shakes and performing at Austin City Limits. I might have to go check out the documentary they are featured in, "They Will Have to Kill Us First."

Pop Afro grooves, energetic and hypnotic. And a fantastic live band too.

Genre: Songhai Music 4/5 Part-tribal, part-Black Keys, Songhoy Blues is an interesting world music fusion that I did not know I needed until I put it on the stereo. While I was first rather impressed at this book including such an album, but upon research you'll soon find that there's a western mind behind the boards, Nick Zinner, guitarist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He does a great job of getting the best out of these boys, whether it's a ballad or a heavy rocker. The vocals and percussion are all fairly tribal, but the added electric guitar layers prove a worthy addition to the age-old Songhai formula. Some great examples are the rocker, Ai Tchere Bele, where it rides its one chord all the way to the end, with near-experimental arpeggios behind it all. The slow and sweet, acoustic finisher, Mali, does a great job wrapping it all up sonically. Way better than I had anticipated, and will certainly stick around in the rotation. Best blues album I've listened to so far in this exercise!

Toutes les accusations de racisme portées à mon encontre sont infondées

Desert blues. Muy interesante!

Enjoyed it. Cool bluesy music, well made

Disco molto piacevole e godibilissimo. Un ottimo ascolto.

Fun guitar licks but wish I could understand the words

1. Soubour is off to a good start actually 2. Irganda sounds hella familiar like it’s in a game or something 7. Wayei , I’m not mad at it! I don’t know if this is something I’d seek out and put on but it blended into the background nicely and the sounds are happy, the album brings a good feeling, I’m not sure if that’s the intention though.

2.5 I appreciate the social commentary of the band and what they did to overcome their difficulties. The language barrier was a detractor for me. I did notice the desert blues that has grown as a genre

I’m happy that this is an album. I never heard of although I didn’t understand it. I enjoyed it. 2.7.

gibberish. at least it was rhythmic (2.5/5)

A good album. Unfortunate that I cannot understand the language, I can tell this was made with a lot of emotion and background to it.

Track By Track Soubour - This is a lot more rocky than I expected! I can hear Ali Farka Touré’s influence pretty much straight away. A cool groove for sure. Irganda - It’s a shame I can’t review the lyrics without going through a translator which may not give an accurate translation. Would be interested to know what they’re saying in some of these. This is a quite good one with nice guitar licks/runs. Al Hassidi Terei - I tend to enjoy the slower ones on these kinds of albums. There’s a hypnotic quality to the guitar looping around like that. This one picks up though as well which I also liked. Good rhythm changes in the vocal melody. Sekou Oumarou - This is my favourite one so far. Really nice rhythms and arrangement. More spare and sparse, which I like quite a bit. A good groove. Nick - Ode to the guitarist I think. Definitely more of a fast paced blues feel to this one, mixed with their chorus vocals. Quite nice. Although it is feeling a tad repetitive by this point! Tasty solos though I must admit. Ai Tchere Bele - Nice guitar intro. I always dig these kinds of licks. Again, very mesmeric almost, like a chant or something. Wayei - A nice continuation of the vibe. Good filler kind of track. Petit Metier - This is a nice little stripped back number. More acoustic. Feels more homely or intimate. I like that it builds gradually. Jolie - Another mesmeric one. Goes nicely in the tracklist. Enjoying the chilled groovy vibe of this one actually. Desert Melodie - Lives up to its name. The guitar evokes the desert feel quite well. Got some hints of tenderness in this one as well, towards the end. Mali - Heard this was about their home. It’s does sound like an ode. Very sweet and their tenderness really comes through on this closer. Overall Review: This album grew on me as I listened. I don’t generally listen to whole albums of this kind of genre. Also my education in it has been limited to Farka Touré and similar artists. There were parts where I felt it was a little repetitive, but as I listened I was lulled into the hypnotic vibe of this kind of music. Very sweet and I felt its heart by the end. Whilst this is not something I would usually go for, I did rate this fairly high. 3.4/5 Favourite Songs: Sekou Oumarou, Petit Metier, Mali

Fun and different

I liked the fusion going on in this album

Not my thing, but also glad this is here!

From the first minute of the album I was thinking it sounds too much like American swag rock, but as it went on I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't like that. The lead guitar playing reminded me of Vieux Farke Touré, the only other Malian artist I've listened to. My favourites are: Al Hassidi Terei, Nick, Wayei, Petit Metier, and Jolie, but all of the songs were good. Still in some places the production sounded a little too modern and overdone and me not understanding the lyrics probably takes away a lot of the emotional impact.

This album is an example of precisely what I was hoping to discover with this project. I would have never discovered this on my own, and what a cool blues project out of Mali! Really vibey, more upbeat and interesting than a lot of blues music - great grooves all around. I got a little lost in it at times just because I couldn't understand the lyrics, but I don't think that took away from the mastery of this album. Not exactly the style of music that I gravitate toward on a regular basis, but I'm glad I listened nonetheless. 3.5/5 rounded down Favorite tracks: Soubour, Petit Metier

Some interesting blues rock from across the globe, appreciate the blending of cultures. All kind of sounded the same though.

laid back bluesy

Hyvää soittoa ja eritoten letkeää kitarointia, sanoista en ymmärtänyt sanakaan... Deluxe-version kaksi coveria oli tuttuja.

3.5

Never heard before but it was more than decent and I will definitely listen again. The band had a really interesting sound and I enjoyed the vocals even though I didn't understand them! Favourite tracks...Nick and Mali

Meh

This is pleasant enough. Doubt I come back to it ever, though.

I don't like world music, but this was pretty interesting! I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It's like a mixture of 70s rock with Santana-esque riffs, with a dash of more experimental stuff? It's hard to categorize, but I did like it.

What a fantastic opening song!

I appreciate the energy that comes from every song on this album. The blues mixed with Songhai sound does work for me. This album is very consistent, every song has good energy, that being said every song is just decently good. Nothing particularly grabs my interest; it isn’t a tedious listen but it isn’t one that I need to return to ever.

Very interesting listen

Hybrid blues and African music. Not earth breaking, but highly listenable.

Angenehm melodische Musik. Von den Texten verstehe ich leider nichts. 3/5

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is an African blues album. While I don't understand any of the lyrics, the instrumentation, and especially the guitar work, is great. I wouldn't mind hearing this again, although I may not seek it out, and I am glad to have heard it once.

Nice music

Evidently, I like desert blues - which I did not know existed 40 minutes ago. Music In Exile starts strong then fades and the songs get pretty similar. Heard some Chuck Berry influence on the A side that was not present on the B side. Overall, enjoyed the listen. Thanks once again to The 1001 Must Hear List for the exposure to new music. (3.2*s) Mali 🇲🇱 is in northwestern Africa by Ivory Coast. Back in the 14th century, Mali was a chief gold supplier and the city of Timbuktu was a major trade and cultural center. The Songhai empire was destroyed by Morocco in the late 1500s. The French conquered Mali in 1898. In the 1960s, Mali broke with the French and became fully independent. There has been unrest in the country since…

The Songhoy Blues Boys are my favorite African music thus far from the list. The guitar work mixed with good tribal beats and chanting is lively. "Irganda" is my fave. Side A more upbeat...started to slow down by the end of Side B. Sad story that these guys had to make music in exile from their home country. Insane to me that in modern times, there are still extreme religious groups that stifle simple pleasures in life like music. No matter how bad we think we got it here, no comparison to a lot of the world. Glad that Casablancas took notice and got this record released in USA. 2.66 stars.

I may have run into these guys in the past through Damon Albarn's work with Africa Express, his Mali Music phase and his and other musician support as they got some local crossover. Reading up on Songhoy Blues I was excited to see that they grew up on classic rock hits but still didn't expect much heading into Music In Exile. I was pretty excited as the first few songs ticked by and I was greeted by a nice mash up of African music with a rock foundation. Seems like the Songhoy boys were well studied and practiced in their rock roots. Their passion came through pretty well throughout the album as it really did sound like a legit attempt at an African rock band. It did start to lose me in the latter half of the album but by then I was already impressed about what I had been exposed to. All in all a pretty cool album by the unrelated Toure boys and yet another nice international entry from the list. I don't expect I would have gone out of my way for this previously but now if I see Songhoy blues in the wild I'll check them out a bit more. 2.79 stars

A little too repetitive, but man, this is the sort of stuff this list was meant to help you discover.

Very cool more like this

This is a great album. It is a bit sad that they would reach a greater audience if they sang in english. This is better than a lot of the english stuff out there.

cool stuff, interesting background story

It's fine, I guess. Decent rock album with cool rhythm. The two distinctive bits are the rhythm and the singing. It's like danceable rock. The singing is less than spectacular and if some was spoken in English, I didn't catch much of it. The whole thing sort of blends together, even upon repeated listeninigs. i don't know. It's ok to hear and to get their story. But it's not a classic or necessary album. I'll be kind and give it a 3 because there's not really anything terrible about it. I'd just never choose it.

Some crazy but soothing African music pretty decent stuff - different to everything else I've listened to so far and a nice changeup

Funky. I like this

Interesting, Nice to see some more international talents appear here.

esta bien que se yo no es regular porque esta interesante por la diferencia de lenguaje, pero hasta ahi.

Album 307. Music In Exile — Songhoy Blues (2015) African blues? Wow. It's solid, unexpected and exactly what I need from the challenge 3/5 No liked songs

This was just okay. Maybe in the not for me category, but I’m also glad it exists. It’s a little repetitive but also has a blues and post-punk influenced sound where that’s more expected.

Was hoping this would be a revival of the sound of Ofege and Wells Fargo highlighting the strifes of 70s Africa in Zimbabwe and Nigeria. This wasn't that at all but it still was not too bad.

Interesting! But not my cup of tea. 3/5.

Not bad just not my thing.

After the run of mediocre offerings I've recently had, this was a very welcome break. I've heard some of this before via the radio, and to be honest the album is a decent listen, but just short of the 'to buy list'. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit 🫳 ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 418 Already owned : 93 Purchased : 21 To buy : 5 Nope : 299

Pretty damn good world music! Had never heard of them beforehand and was impressed by the blend of blues into their sound. Not a whole lot of staying power but was happy for the journey they took me on today!

Megusta la música, no tanto las voces que resultan repetitivas. Me aparece bien que se les haya incluido en la selección.

Courtesy of Julian Casablanca's record label, Damon Albarn and the singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, we have this group from Mali who have pioneered 'Desert Blues'. Whilst not drawing me in entirely this band can really play, there is some fluid guitar interweaving and some serious bluesy sounds on offer. I can't help hearing some of the characteristics of the playing on Graceland and the album explores a few more contrasting avenues as it develops. They've emerged from hard times and this is where the great blues also originated. Andy Kershaw would've no doubt loved them.....

not in the book to tell me why I should listen. bit tiresome.

62/100

better than expected but got a bit repetitive

It’s pleasant but not necessarily interesting

Ágætt stöff. Held fjarkanum að mér en það væri hægt að sannfæra mig um að breyta.

Different, good, lovely blues

Desert blues from Mali - interesting and enjoyable

Started strong and definitely worth a few more listens.

Great start to the album but I got a bit bored halfway through

Really liked this. Kind of like hearing Sunny Ade the first time.

It felt like traveling halfway around the world just to listen to The Black Keys. It was fine, but had nothing that stood out to me.

definitely nothing like i’ve heard before in my life and even though i couldn’t understand the words i felt the vibes

sometimes the international stuff just doesn't hit with me, but i liked this album.

Nice listen - not heard of them before, but nice melodic listen

Pretty catchy for something I'd likely never know about or listen to

Some straight bangers on this. Could have been a bit shorter with the lack of dynamism but still heat. 3.5.

I very much enjoyed the instrumentation and melodies, overall a very enjoyable listening experience, though not something I see myself coming back to.

This was fun, but I don't think it was for me.

kind of impressed a non-english album made it on this list. the instruments are great, and the vibes were high for sure.

Had low expectations, but it wasn't bad

I was quite excited about this having read about them and why they exist etc. the first track kicked in with a cool bluesy guitar riff and I got more excited, but it just didn't really go where I hoped. I thought with it being a bit of a rebellion it would get a bit more aggressive, or distraught or something and a few other riffs were cool, but it stayed firmly in the nice territory which I felt lacked a bit of oomph. Not bad, not great, middling fine. I doubt I'll search them out again.

A fun modern take on the blues. If I was more of a blues guy I would probably rate it higher.

I don’t know why I was so surprised by the sound of the music when they literally have the word “blues” in the band name. Super interesting and different sound.

one of those albums where i likely never would have heard it if not for this website! i don't have much to say but this was a nice rock album and it was awesome getting to hear music from mali.

Hhg

This is actually quite frustrating, I really wish this list had more albums like this. Every time I get one, I never really know what to make of it, because instead of getting familiar with other non-western music, I'm being given more bullshit by Happy Mondays or whatever that nobody needs to hear. I did enjoy a lot of this, some moments were so fun and energetic, I couldn't help but groove a little bit. I found it to be a bit inconsistent, you still have plenty of meandering a capella parts too. But hey, maybe I could have enjoyed those parts more if I actually had the chance to listen to more music like this.

Desert blues est un des meilleurs genre de musique. Ca m'a fait penser à Tinariwen, qui sont Tuareg. Eux sont Songhoy, quasiment la même région. Groupe créé à Bamako après exil forcé du Nord du Mali, il voulait transmettre l'ambiance du nord. Les guitares et l'ambiance sont folles, l'histoire du groupe est belle, je réécouterai.

For the most part, this was pretty boring blues music and was only interesting because the lyrics were whatever foreign language they were. However, some songs had impressive syncopated rhythms where the band's native culture shone through the otherwise boring and generic western style of the music.

01) Soubour - 8,0 02) Irganda - 7,5 03) Al Hassidi Terei - 7,0 04) Sekou Oumaru - 7,5 05) Nick - 7,5 06) Ai Tchere Bele - 7,0 07) Wayei - 7,0 08) Petit Metier - 7,5 09) Jolie - 7,0 10) Desert Melodie - 7,0 11) Mali - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,27 (73/100)

pretty fun even though I don't know the language lol. nice guitar playing

Buen ritmo.

has a decent bit of range to it, which is nice as the songs that rock harder don't do as much for me as the acoustic bluesier ones. one could write a good piece on the reclamation of African influences, but i'm content to just speak on my admiration for Ai Tchere Bele and Petit Metier. deserves to be one of the 1001? it's probably one of the more important desert blues-y albums from its time. i think yes, but i might swap it for something in a similar but distinctively Saharan vein like an album by Mdou Moctar or Tinariwen

A decent desert blues album though I find it a little boring compared to their most recent album "Heritage".

I’d love to give this a higher score, as it’s led me down a path listening to a load of North African and Saharan music. But truth be told this album, whilst good, was very background music and even though I played out twice nothing stood out sadly.

I quite liked this as background music

I don’t really listen to blues but find the lyrics to be very repetitive, the songs are catchy though. The album isn’t bad, overall it’s an ok album

Very good

This was such a surprising soulful revelation.

Pretty cool. Theres an insightful review down below somewhere so I won't restate their notes. But; Language barrier dings it a star because I can't be critical. but it is damn really good 2010's blues rock revival. Akin to the Black Keys but with more worldly influence injected in.

I think the music was really good but I didn't really like or understand the lyrics or the language that the song was spoken in. I feel like I kinda missed out on that part and it didn't really add anything to the song for me.

The music isn’t as mind-blowing as the story behind it but it was still a good listen.

sure why not

Albums like Music in Exile are why I started this journey into the 1001. Songhoy Blues brings music and culture from their corner of Mali, legitimately from Timbuktu. Their infusion of Songhai lyrics into desert blues about their war torn region is a unique perspective that you just don't get in the west. I'm not the world's biggest blues fan but I enjoyed this cool window into a different part of the planet.

Wasnt expecting this! Amazing album! The vocalizations of this language is so interesting! And the instrumentation here is also great. Amazing find!

Really cool and catchy music and even though I don't understand a word I still bob along to all of the songs. Its not a music genre I listen to often though so probably not something I will come back to but I had a great time listening through it and reading up about the band. Definitely an album that deserves to be on this list!

One of the best things about this challenge is getting introduced to artists and genres I probably never would have found on my own. I had never heard of Songhoy Blues, and I had never even heard the term “desert blues,” but the story behind the group’s formation is fascinating—and thankfully, the music itself is also a delight to listen to. The instrumentation sounds incredibly solid, the rhythms are infectious, and the whole album has a natural toe-tapping energy. I have no idea what they’re saying most of the time, but it really doesn’t matter. The music communicates plenty on its own. I especially enjoyed the grooveier tracks, where the band really locks into a rhythm and lets it carry the song. Some of the tracks do begin to blend together after a while, but it’s such an enjoyable sound that I never minded too much. I’m genuinely glad someone decided this album belonged in the book, because without this challenge, I probably never would have known it existed.

Vunzig

MI SENTO IN VACANZA. PUO' DARSI CHE IL TESTO SIA MOLTO PIU' PROFONDO DI UNA SEMPLICE VACANZA, MA NON CAPISCO NULLA E VA BENE COSI'. E' QUELLO CHE CERCAVO DA QUESTA LISTA. ME LO ASCOLTEREI RARAMENTE, MA ALMENO E' QUALCOSA DI DIVERSO IN QUESTA LISTA ANGLOCENTRICA. "AL HASSIDI TEREI" E' LA MIA TRACCIA PREFERITA. 3/5

Songhoy Blues or Houmous & Chutney? So unbelievably similar. 3.4 4/11 Sekou Oumarou

Shows that African music is as diverse as any.

Африканская надежда на будущее. Это самая популярная около блюзовая группа из Мали. Как будто по одному описанию можно понять, что врятли вы услышите некачественную и не интересную музыку. Так, очевидно и оказалось - музыка очень достойная и необычная. Ритмика энергетика - полностью описывают желание жить и желание это обособленно от любых внешних и внутренних факторов. Желание - просто желание и в музыке ты его слышь абсолютно в каждой композиции. Очень приятный шлейф панковости и грязности звука. Мне альбом понравился на уровне опыта прослушивания чего-то неизвестного и явно уникального. Не слишком сильно откликается именно это звучание со мной,поэтому. Оценка 5/10.

Sounded pretty good despite not being able to understand it. I liked the rhythm, upbeat tempo and vocals.

Without being able to listen to the lyrics its just okay. Reading the history I wish I was able to understand them more.

Some great songs but I don't know the genre well enough. Towards the end it sounds a bit repetitive. 3.5/5

Pitkästä aikaa afrikkalaista musiikkia. Tämä oli miellyttävää kuunneltavaa, vaikka sanaakaan en ymmärtänyt. Yhtyeellä on varsin kiinnostava taustatarina.

Bueno world music

Interesting to hear blues mixed with music from another country

There is stuff going on here. Good stuff.

That’s more like it!

DNF soubour Enjoying this?! (Good guitar) Petit metier Sekou feels a little on the slower side for me

07/09 Not bad

Surprisingly enjoyed this one. I’m not usually the biggest fan of international music (I like to understand the lyrics), but this one was a great vibe

Solid blues album. Not riffs for riffs sake, but well played guitar, drums and bass.

i like it, but it’s really not my cup of tea

Generally enjoyable listen

African blues not bad.

Fav song: Al Hassidi Terei

It was fine, upbeat and fun. I think if I heard this type of music more regularly I would appreciate this album more. It’s good for people hanging out, bars, cafés whatever. I can see myself in a bar with friends downing shots and loving this music, but I would never intentionally sit down and listen to it at home.

Chuckled listening to the first song. Reminded me of modern car commercials with the electric guitar riffs. What I took out of this album is that it combines world music with blues rock instruments. It’s a fascinating concept but something I’m not inclined to listen to further. It’s probably a lack of sleep but I was impatient for this album to finish during the last 4-5 songs (2.5-3).

Nice to hear some more African representation. Pretty enjoyable all around. I would give this 3.5 if I could.

Not bad. African blues. Won't come back to this but shoutout to Timbuktu

I don't understand any of this, but I'm having a great time.

Good

I don’t need to understand the language to appreciate how TALENTED these guys are. And how good the beats are! I was bopping my head immediately to the first song. I am so glad I discovered them. What a gem. Their story makes me tear up. This is the one of the best examples of the healing power of music.

Listened Before? N Pretty eclectic. I didn't understand a word but still didn't hate it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sekou Oumarou

Wonderful vocals and unique sound, very nice listen

I'm vaguely familiar with Songhoy Blues, having come across them a few years ago through a recommendation on Spotify. I liked them well enough then, and I like them well enough now. They have style, enjoyable tunes, and an incredibly compelling story behind them, too. Musically, it's good, but there isn't quite enough here for me to feel justified in giving it 4 stars. That said, it's a very strong 3-star album.

Starts off with a banger, but unfortunately settles short of that.

Really solid overall - had never heard of them. Fantastic guitar playing 3

Lovely!

Quite fond of this, very pretty and moving.

3.75?

I liked this! I don’t speak any Songhui so have no clue what they were saying but really liked the persuasiveness of the songs. And whoever sings the bass line has a really has such a nice tone

Probably never would have heard this without this site tbf Pleasant but not really my thing

Found the first few tracks life-affirming stuff but the second half(-ish) less interesting and a bit ‘desert blues by numbers’ in parts. Didn’t like the Kashmir cover much. Enjoyable overall though and will revisit.

Good beats, I enjoyed having the opportunity to listen to something different and more global! After a while I got bored of it and DNF. (3)

It was fine.

Love the sound. Difficult to speak about it more.

3

Cool concept, but I don't really see why I should hear this before I die. The songs (and the album as a whole) grow tiresome real quick.

Para lo raro que se me hace escuchar musica de Mali, este album es bastante digerible y con una instrumentalidad que mezcla la influencia africana con cositas mas occidentales a las que estoy acostumbrada. No entendi un pedo de lo que dicen pero quien soy yo para hablar si soy fan de liz fraser 7/10

Afrikan blues rock, other worthy OG blues artists Irganda Nick