Music in Exile

intersting worth another listen

I quite enjoyed it although I'm not really used to this kind of music. But it looses a bit tension to me with the second half of the album. Weak three stars for their exile-debut. favourite: "Nick", Sekou Oumarou", "Soubour" 2,5

Musically it was good - great melodies and a nice harmonies! A couple songs the lead vocals had a diff sound to them and they were hard to listen to. Probably 4 stars for the music and 2 stars for listening to an album in another language… so in balance 3 stars

I didn't put any of these on my liked songs, but it's still getting a 3 for the instrumentals. I wish I knew the language.

78% Best: Irganda; Sekou Oumarou Must-Hear? Not quite

Bit dull apart from one good song

Surprisingly good album. Had not heard of them before.

World music like this is cool. I probably don't need a whole album of it, but this was a solid listen nonetheless.

Solid listen. Some songs carried a lot of similarity to others but worth the experience.

Not so much bluesy as pop, musicality was great with some very nice guitar work. My problem was I found the singing very monotone. But overall a fun album.

Fun record with an interesting story, I think it would help more if I could understand the lyrics as the vocals aren't the main appeal for me. The band's performance has a good groove, it is quite polished and in places feels like it has a very modern pop production. I also thought several of these were really catchy and stand out. I would go with a 6/10

Has an interesting way of emerging you into the music, not really my taste but I really appreciate the different culture 3/5

J'aime le style mais j'ai l'impression d'avoir entendu vraiment meilleur, plus raw chez Moctar ou même Vieux Farka Touré. Tout de même, c'était agréable, mais pas tout à fait un 4.

C'est 4 sur le plan du caractère agréable de l'écoute. C'est un 3 par rapport au reste de ce qui se fait dans le genre.

C’est bon mais la prod est un peu dull. 3.49 étoiles

i don't understand what they are singing, but it's has good beats

A nice mix of the African sound and the blues.

Pääs Timbuktun pojat yllättämään. Ei oo Blues maistunut ikinä, mutta täähän oli ihan mukava platta. Ennen kuuntelua en uskonut että tykkäisin yhtään.

Meno aika afrikka. Ihan mukavatunnelmaista meininkiä. Kotimaisesta tuotannosta tuli mieleen Piirpauke, mutta taisi Sakari KUKKO seikkailla jossain länsi-afrikassa tiuhempaankin ja taisi jossain vaiheessa ainakin rumbali olla jostain Senegalista roudattu. Ei tule uudestaan varmaan kuunneltua, mutta ihan kiva tämä "Timbuktu punk"

Toimi oikein hyvin pakatessa vähän kiireisenä. Rentouttavaa ja ”kaikki kääntyy vielä hyväksi”-meininkiä.

Ei taida tulla kuunneltua uudestaan, mutta ihan omalla tavallaan toimiva kokemushan tämä oli. Plussaa myös siitä, että oli nimeäkin myöten täysin uusi tuttavuus itselleni. Tämän projektin antia parhaimmillaan.

Kiva groove pojilla. Mukavan kuuloista musiikkia. Sanoista ei tietenkään ole mitään hajua. Ei kuitenkaan sellainen levy jota tulisi kuuneltua uudestaan. Tähän levyyn/artistiin olisi ollut kiva saada projektilta joku lyhyt intro.

Täysin uusi tuttavuus ja ei ehkä ihan omaa genreä, mutta hyvinhän nuo soittaa.

Interesting

I am literally here for this. Something I never would have found on my own but wonderful. I was today years old when I discovered that desert blues was a thing, but man is it a thing! Mixing American blues with what are African beats is genius. That said, these guys hooked me with the first couple of songs, but then lost me a bit towards the end. Easily could have cut a few songs. Otherwise a really great experience. Influence, I don't know. Hits, not that I'm aware of. Quality is sky high, and I really enjoyed it. 3.5

Joa. Im ersten durchlauf finde ich keinen Zugang dazu.

3.5 more accuratr

Finally something different from this list. This is a modern blues band from Mali. I got an Ali Farka Touré album earlier in this list and really liked it so I can hear the similarities in this. No complaints from me, this was nice.

Reminds me of a more radio-friendly afrobeat with a commercial blues influence. There's beautiful details, so if you leave it on in the background, when you zone back in there's something special waiting for you. Not sure I'd listen again. 2.8/5

Pretty chilled, nice background music for work but won't stick it on at home. 2.5

Intressant. Dock är blues inte min musiksmak. Fina röster och akustisk gitarr, men lite repetitivt. +irganda , petit meteir

Iš istorijos įdomūs, muzikaliai visai nieko.

It really captures the "african sound" theme, and very refreshing to hear their interpretation of blues. Knowing the backstory of the country they're from makes it more interesting and it evens helps to put in perspective the genre. Overall, a good listen.

--Soubour...I like that guitar --Irganda...this rips --Al Hassidi Terei...this is very cool, I wish I were good with words so I could describe it --Sekou Oumarou...we slow things down a bit. It's good but not as exhilarating as previous tracks --Nick...some nice old school blues with a fuzzy guitar --Al Tchere Bele...good but not one of the better tracks --Wayei...not my favorite. repetitive --Petit Metier...an acoustic ballad that expands into something more. very nice --Jolie...the guitar/bass interplay is fun but the song is meh --Desert Melody...a nice vibe but there's something with the guitar on this one. a lack of precision? intentional? --Mali...a nice, quiet closer

Enjoyed this at work through my crappy usb headset while answering emails… some of the bluesier tracks I enjoyed less but it was a good listen overall

I liked this, but maybe didn't find it as impactful as other albums in the same genre - not sure if there are any other desert blues albums on the list or not.

It's a bit repetitive but not bad.

the music isn't charting new territories, but the background of the album's creation is interesting and sad.

Pretty decent, pleasantly surprised by this wild card

I'm sure it's not everybody's cup of tea, but I actually liked this record. A lot. This band reminds me somehow of Uchpa, a Peruvian blues band who plays in quechua, the local language.

Sehr nice Bluesig und 1 in a 100 chance zum es ned-englischs-album zbecho, darum super happy! Am Endi vom Tag aber au ned so mega flashig das Ichs mer bald wider in voller Längi wird inezieh. Für das gits 3 HOCH DIE HÄNDE, WOCHENENDE!

Wieder (aso erst s 2te african album glaubs, isch ja würki nöd vill) so biz tuareg/mali sound. Scho sehr gmüetlich aber wirdi doch nüm all zu oft dri lose. Danke fürd diversitität 3 langsam fitti sternlis nachm festival

African Blues.. aumal spannend

Ok not my cup of tea but good

Solid album but no particular standouts for me. Might revisit this one later.

Not bad music but t not my style, I give it a solid 3 stars only because I won’t buy the album though it was good

This album starts with a great start. The first 4 songs on this album I really loved. The simplistic playing and rhythmic singing blended really well together and created really original sounding rock songs that felt fresh and creative. Obviously there’s a bit of a disconnect cause I didn’t translate the songs so I have no idea what they were singing about, but I loved it regardless. I do feel that the language barrier hurt the later parts of the album cause they slow down and play more ballad like songs, but I always struggle with slow songs. So those two things combined made the 2nd half (majority) of the album forgettable. Despite that, I think this is a solid rock album that’s completely original and fresh.

This was pretty good, and felt like a classic blues album.

Weirdly enjoyable.

A good time. I don't know if it's the genre for me, but worth a listen.

bit boring. But quite different from those in the US

Nice but would only have in the background

I liked the vibe

Inconsistent? It starts out kind of awesome, actually - bluesy rock but so much better than that lame description - with a heavy African feel to it, it's different and entirely unique at least to western culture (i.e. my ears). The problems lie in the longer more repetitive songs later in the album - this is the kind of music you'd feel great listening to if you're watching the band live and feeling the jam but at home on an album it just feels...eh, it drags. I'm gonna give a solid 3 based on the fact that the first chunk of songs I could definitely get into again although the album overall falls flat - but how many bands can even give 4 songs worthy of a playlist? 6/10 3 stars.

Decent. Love the mix of acoustic and vocals.

This was ok. Would have been better in english

Typical “rock” music coming out of Africa. Clean guitar tones and syncopated playing, interesting percussion, full of energy.

3 stars. It's a bit different but I'm not going to be seeking it out very often.

cool

Made me miss Desert Daze, definitely feels like a band we would have seen there and really enjoyed.

It was definitely such a vibe but there was never a huge moment that stood out to me? 100% the type of shit I’m replaying in the future for homework motivation or smth tho

I generally like African music, but I found this to be fairly average.

Interesting, and quite groovy at times, but not on the level of the best Tinariwen albums, for me Clive.

Songhoy Blues: Music In Exile: This is some kinda new blues music, its decent, the percussion is interesitng, but its kind of repetitive and drags on. I still enjoyed every song but it wasn't anything crazy. 6.5/10

Pretty cool. Never would have discovered or listened to this album if not for this generator.

Wonderful change of pace from the regular stuff. Those picking sounds from the guitar are awesome. Easy to see these as the roots of more modern African rock/blues groups.

6/10… afrikanischer blues / world music

This album felt very fresh despite being mostly grounded in blues rock. The different perspective/cultural influence definitely played a role and took the music in different directions than the typical rock album on this list. I enjoyed musical and cultural blend a lot even though I couldn't understand the language the vocals were in. I think this was a strong addition to the list, but I don't know that it was particularly special outside of being unique. The style and background made it interesting even if it was a bit unimpressive at times. On the whole, I thought it was a pretty good album. Overall: 3.5/5

Interesting punk sound from mali

22/07/2025 Never judge a book by its cover.

Great opening riff on "Soubour," the first song! Mostly infectious fun throughout, but one day after listening to it, I can't say I specifically recall any of the songs.

Ik versta er geen klap van

Not really my style but folksy/rock heavy

Interesting. Never heard ‘desert blues’ before now. Have no idea what they’re saying but the beat is good

Not bad and a powerful backstory that shows how powerful magic can be. It m kind of over the blues but this was solid.

Having thoroughly enjoyed their 2025 album ‘heritage’ i was pleased to see this pop up. Unlike some of the other albums i’ve had on this list, that aren’t in English, this didn’t feel like it possibly lost something to my ability to enjoy it. The musical just picks you up and sweeps you along and whilst i might know what the lyrics content is telling me, it just fits rhythmically.

This is my favourite of the “world music” selections we’ve been offered as part of this project so far, for reasons I can’t really explain. I just quite liked it.

I like this

I ultimately felt that this was an average blues band. Love to hear the African influence, but I didn't not feel strongly about much on it.

When Jolie first started, I was dreading ANOTHER cover version of 'Jolene' (she has other songs, people!) This album was alright, but never really grabbed me one way or the other. I liked the songs, and it will scratch a musical itch I have occasionally, but this one won't really go into my listening list. Solid. 3.

they had some jams. Had a fun time listening to them.

Not something I would’ve played on my own but I like that it had really awesome instrumentation and it flowed really well. 3/5

Not my usual thing but not sure how I would have found this otherwise. Nice blend of genres. Songs were bouncy and fun.

Desert blues. Exiled from Mali by the imposition of Sharia law which banned cigarettes, alcohol and music. You can keep the fags and booze but any culture without music is no culture at all. Guitar driven blues rock.

I liked it musically. Lyrically, I don't know the language, so I can't judge.

Trancey blues with cool interlocking guitar parts, driving bass and drum parts, and a youthful up-tempo rock energy. Not sure why there's such a boundless appetite for this kind of samey genre in the festival circuit, but it's much more exciting music than dad blues rock, so the more the merrier.

Das Album Music in Exile der Band Songhoy Blues wurde unter anderem in den Livingston Studios in London aufgenommen. Die Mitglieder der Gruppe stammen aus Mali, ihre musikalischen Wurzeln liegen im Norden des Landes, wo Tuareg-Blues und traditionelle Songhai-Klänge ein zentraler Bestandteil der lokalen Musiktradition sind. Die Band verbindet Elemente aus Wüstenblues, Rock und westafrikanischer Popmusik. Stilistisch lässt sich das Album dem Genre Wüstenblues bzw. afrikanischem Bluesrock zuordnen. Auffällig ist der rhythmisch betonte Gitarrensound, der sich durch viele der Stücke zieht. Songs wie „Soubour“ oder „Al Hassidi Terei“ gelten als prägnante Beispiele für den Stil der Band. Sie greifen politische und gesellschaftliche Themen auf, die eng mit der Lebensrealität der Musiker verknüpft sind. Auch „Irganda“ zeigt exemplarisch, wie die Gruppe traditionelle Strukturen mit modernen Arrangements verknüpft. Das Album bietet einen konzentrierten Einblick in die Ausdrucksform einer jungen Generation westafrikanischer Musiker, die unter schwierigen politischen Bedingungen neue Wege sucht. Die Produktion wirkt bewusst zurückhaltend, was der Authentizität zugutekommt. Music in Exile ist ein solides, kulturell wie musikalisch relevantes Werk.

Interesting, bluesy grooves

Unique African folk music, I like this album because I’ve never heard much like it and can appreciate the contrast to what I usually listen to. The only thing is that I didn’t find anything that I absolutely loved.

such a unique mix of influences and origins, great guitar work but just enough 'worldmusicsound' to keep it humble. I liked this! I want to give 3.5

Highly listenable. Excellent musicianship, esp the guitar. Hard to keep coming back being that I don’t understand Mail and the impact of the lyrics is lost.

I love the rich sound and frantic rhythm. I also found it incredibly repetitive after the initial songs.

Joyful. Exuberant. Expressive. Passionate. All driven by displacement and presented with masterful craftsmanship. The power to get overcome if best rooted in song. A quality entry into the desert blues idiom.

Music that sounds like you're in another country in their equivalent of a pub. Chilling out with friends and listening to the music take your worries away. Would probably like this more if I knew what they were saying but the emotion in the voice is there.

They play 4 minute versions of 40 second songs. They have some nice riffs, but too repetitive. Favorite song: ai tchere bele

Great fun. Opening song is amazing.

Very cool, and probably an awesome vibe live. My favorites are Irganda and the slower jam Petit Metier.

Best Malian blues I’ve ever heard

This album wasn’t too bad. Good mix of African rhythms with more modern guitar.

pretty good actually. first track kind of fire

I didn’t know what to expect coming into this album. I did some research and saw that the band is from Mali. In all honesty, I wasn’t big on this album, but I can certainly see why other people would enjoy it. The main hurdle I couldn’t get across was not being able to understand the lyrics. As someone who usually listens to the lyrics first, this was hard for me to stomach. But, for everything I’ve said, I am willing to give the band its dues and say that the album did sound pretty good. The songs all had good rhythm and guitar work, and it really had that exotic feel to it. The album didn’t sound bad, it actually sounded pretty good. I may not come back to this album, but if your a fan of African music, or even if you’re from that culture, I’d suggest checking it out.

I enjoyed this even without understanding the lyrics. Good music speaks in all languages.

No clue what was going on here with this album, but it was pleasant enough to listen to. 2.5⭐️ rounding up

Had no idea what to expect off of this album cover. Started off strong - really enjoyed that blues-rock sound, but then it slowly loses steam for me. Not a bad listen, but nothing I'd ever really seek out again, nor dig into the discography. 2.5, rounding up because the music beat the album cover expectations.

West African electric blues rock? Heck yeah! This grooves pretty hard right off the bat. I have no idea what they're saying, but that doesn't really matter. It does get a little samey after awhile, but it's still good even with this in mind.

Afrorock

me gusto mas la segunda escucha. volvere a escuchar. la primera fue en el consum esperando a q me hiciesen un poke la espera se me hizo eterna

Interesting

Nice morning vibes on this one. Will never listen to it again but if I run into it again I’ll be like oh yeah this album. 2.5. Stars

Music was excellent, lyrics had nice movement to it but not understanding it didnt hit the same, will definitely listen to this again though. really a 3.5

The beautiful thing about music is that it can bypass language barriers. The blues playing on this album is pretty incredible. It's so interesting how this rockabilly sound turned out with the influences of the Niger River sound. There's a grooving dance vibe throughout the album, a long with rock and blues elements obviously. The instrumentals stick to meat and potatoes bass and guitar, the drums really stand out as being traditionally African though, complete with multi-rhythmic drum grooves and all. The vocals on Wayei are absolutely spellbinding. This album features a lot of chant-style vocals and call-response vocals featured in more traditional African folk music. The acoustic cuts are pretty in their own way, and some of them are for sure a little stronger than the others. Overall a pretty enjoyable blues-world tinged rock album with VERY cool drum/vocal/guitar riffs. Would've liked to see a tad bit more traditional folk instrumentation throughout though.

J'avais bien aimé cet album du Mali quand j'etais tombé dessus il y a 10 ans. Des rhythmes qui feelent instables et des melodies presque atonales, pas familier pour les oreilles occidentales, mais ça reste bien ancré dans les codes du rock et blues, avec la vibe de band, les back vocals à l'unisson, les turnover blues (genre le début de Nick), la guit électrique. Une nouvelle écoute aujourdhui permet de remarquer que cetait pas si hot, quelques performances et tones qui laissent un peu à désirer, mais les good vibes sont encore là <3

Wonderful African music

3,3

I really liked it. Like Blues meets Fela Kuti

a world album with influences from blues, gotta say these albums are the reason why i do this. honestly could do with more african influence as it half felt like the record label wanted to turn it down but nevertheless a vibe

A really cool album, gotta love stuff like this which is different from everything else on this list.

I felt it was repetitive or a I was just becoming more dazed and tired due to this album

Nice listen-this is why I wanted to work thru the list. Enjoyed the music & sounds a lot

I came into this with no expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed this. Very nice background music to work to, stunning vocals.

Fine

A fine album from a Mali blues rock band with an interesting story

Really good! Cool blend

Kiinnostavia juttuja, mutta liika on liikaa tällaisen äänimaailman kanssa.

No ei selvinny mitä kieltä joikasivat mutta kuuntelin kokonaan. Kivoja rytmejä

Jälleen en ymmärtänyt sanoista mitään mutta ihan kivaa bluesneppailua tämäkin Malilaispumppu tarjoilee.

This was delightful. It used african rhythms and voices but filtered it through a western prism to make it very accessible for this middle aged white man. It got a bit samey after a while but a thoroughly enjoyable 2 times through.

Very good album; soothing, nice, relaxing. Petit Metier was my favorite. 3/5

This is my first totally new experience on this list, having not previously heard of Songhoy Blues, or this album, "Music In Exile". Perhaps I have heard them along the way without realising it? 1. Sourbour - Nice bluesy riff. Good vocals. Good percussion. 4* 2. Irganda - Uptempo. Danceable. Nice guitar. 4* 3. Al Hassidi Terei - This has a 60s feel to the guitar lick to it which reminds me of the Slade cover "I Hear You Calling". 3* 4. Sekou Oumarou - Nice swampy opening riff. A subdued number. 3* 5. Nick - A good opening riff again. The guitar reminds me of the 1950s blues, John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters. 3* 6. Al Tchere Bele - 3*. 7. Wayei - 3*. Pretty guitar melodies. 8. Petit Metier. Ooh acoustic guitar. Very mellow. 3* 9. Jolie. Another melow number. The guitar is rolling along. The backing vocals are excellent, adding some dynamics, with the ending coming to a crescendo and abrupt halt. 4* 10. Desert Melodie - Gives the sense of drifting along, or even day dreaming. 3* 11. Mali. Nice folk style, guitar intro. 3* 36/55. Three stars. Blues mixed with African rhythms. It has a clean, bright sound. A pleasant enough listen. A little low key, perhaps. This didn't grab me. Lacks dynamics, and a little danger and/or despair. They maybe singing of this but it doesn't come through in the sound. At no time did I get the sense that they were in despair because their woman left them, or that they would knock you on your arse if you stole their woman. It could do with a Billy Gibbons or Muddy Waters growl hear and there. Nasty up the guitars a touch. Would I listen again? - Yes. Would I buy this album? - No

This is super cool. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s great music. I mean even thinking about west African music traveling (sic) to America and becoming blues then traveling back and becoming this. It’s blues but more exciting with sometimes delving into other territories - sometimes a bit heavier, sometimes meditative (Wayei). Great to have on this list.

Reading about this album while listening to it gave me a much bettter appreciation of the history and importance of this record - so I get why it made the list. But, musically it was just OK, nothing that really stood out or made me want to listen again in the future.

Blues based band from Timbuktu, Mali (Western Africa). Some songs with French lyrics, but western music with touches of African influence

I have no idea what these guys are saying, but man are they saying it. African music at its purest. The first two songs “Soubour” and “Irganda” absolutely rock and then the rest of the album calms down considerably. Despite that, this was a very pleasant experience. One of the ultimate examples of why I’m so glad to be doing this challenge. Were it not for this site, never in a million years would I find a charming little album like this. As a side note, the documentary these guys are prominently featured in, They Will Have To Kill Us First, is a very compelling story.

What a nice blues, and what a shame that making music is forbidden in northern Mali

Fine, but hard to get into the blues, when you don’t understand the stories, if there’s no funky instrumentalism. So some songs were great, some just the blues

pretty good

This was a very pleasant album to listen to in the morning.

fun

I fw some of the songhai stuff but never really liked these guys all that much, good stuff but nothing too special. they can definitely play tho

African rock music and blues. First half has such fun bangers with cool rocking guitars. Later half is stripped down, accoustic tracks with the signature african rubbery melodies and grooves. Less fun than the first half. Still a solid album. Al Hassidi Terei was my favourite from the album. I'll give it a 3.5.

It’s good but I’m not a world music fan

Rhythmic, upbeat then calm 3

My favorite band from Mali

Solid album, nice a funky. Fun listen, probably wouldn't go back to it but happy I listened once.

the music in this is so groovy mixed with a little rock and roll. i love it. can’t understand the words but the groove is nice.

Solid stuff, I vibe with Desert Blues

I liked it, but kind of repetitive at times

Pretty good stuff, little repetitive for a 40 minute album

Good but also not that interesting

Language barrier. It is upbeat and fun musically.

I never really listened to African music, so this was a fun new experience. Although it’s not my type of music, I can definitely appreciate it!

This is literally the first time I'm hearing of African desert blues. Very interesting reading up on the group too. Originally from Mali, some of the members were essentially forced out of their hometown by militant and eventually jihadist groups (who banned music among many other things, how does one ban MUSIC?). Regardless, this didn't stop the group from making music and eventually landing a record deal. Not knowing much about the Songhay language, I can really only speak on the instrumentals and rhythms/grooves that I'm hearing. The guitar is very prominent (as it is in your stock blues music) establishing the underlying rhythm and a constant energy for each track. And that energy varies from high to low depending on the track, as there are a few stripped down acoustic pieces here. You can really hear the emotion in the vocals, despite the foreign tongues. Pretty novel listening experience, even though this isn't something I'd necessarily seek out myself.

I like their story and the music was fine.

Achei legal

Pretty cool but can't see myself listening to a lot of it. 3 stars.

I love when this list actually gives me an album that I haven't heard of before and that isn't some lame British alt rock. That being said, this album kind of faded into the background for me.

...

It’s cool. I don’t know what to write about it. It’s not my thing.

very nice, i will definitely spend more time with it. haven't heard them or of them before, those are the best parts of the list. i do think the general idea will stay with me longer than any particular track though

I wish that I could understand the lyrics because I was very intrigued when I read this band’s story. They’re very talented, and instrumentally this was exactly the kind of album I enjoy. I have not received many non-English albums so far, but this sets a solid bar. I thought it was pretty good.

Of all the foreign language albums we have listened to - this may have been my favorite to this point

Bluesy jams from Timbuktu

Good album. Nice to listen to lyrics not in English for a change. No stand out song

-this was interesting! wasn’t sure what I was expecting to hear but there were a lot of influences I was sorta picking up on. so it never really got boring -I guess the end struggled to hold my interest as much as the beginning and middle -but holy shit some of these songs had a really good groove. I liked it -Favorites are Nick and Desert Melodie

This is why I love this list. Guitar blues album from a Mali band fleeing civil war and it was actually pretty decent. Language barrier probably stopped it scoring higher but was vibrant and enjoyable listen

Serene rock from mali, these guys really blend the rock instrumentals with their local music in a way that not only is it nice, it's also something I could see myself returning to. Really underrated but well made album

Quite pleasant

Nice blues!

This was a breath of fresh air after a nasty run of 2s. Id listen again! 6/10

Nice stuff! I enjoyed it pretty well although nothing super stood out to me

This was a good album, but I couldn't help but find it was all over the place, some real bangers alongside some rougher listens. I may have to give it more listens to really appreciate it, but I don't have a strong desire to return to it yet.

Solid stuff! I love hearing music from across the world, and Songhai/Malian music isn't one I'd touched on before now.

Nutty guitar all the way through Wish I could dive deeper into some lyrics Petit Metier stood out in particular

Good album but did not have the magic of others for me. I think i would have enjoyed more if I could understand the lyrics. Intriguing but did not change my life.

Started out a bit boring, but picked up as it went along. African music has always done something for me

Of to a strong start but got a bit homogene after 5 songs

Cool, but not my jam. Reminds me of the album Damon Albarn did. Some cool grooves, but probably not something I'd reach for again when there's Fela et al.

This album has a very good story behind it. It was so nice to learn more about the culture and how music creators reacted to the “Exile”. Music wise, I’ll have to stay true to myself and I personally prefer more well thought out music than jamming music. I could feel the energy, but without checking the story behind, it was a bit difficult for me to get naturally instinctively focused on the music. Still good but not yet a four for me.

I think it’s awesome that this 1,001 list includes music from all over the world. It can be very easy to just focus on US/UK music and it’s good to see representation. I enjoyed listening to this album, but I did find it got a bit repetitive for me. Glad it came across my desk, but probably wouldn’t seek this album out again. I wouldn’t mind listening to more Songhoy Blues, to see how their sound evolved/evolves.

Really enjoyed the mixture of blues, rock, and cultural music. My biggest mistake was listening to this on a flight, so I wasn’t able to look up the translations for the lyrics. Definitely something I’ll have to come back to, but I don’t think it would be able to boost this album to a four.

Groovy, i liked it and it was surprisingly good cause i had never listened to African music

7/10 Feel like this would've gotten a crazy score if the whole album had kept pace with the first couple of songs but unfortunately I feel as though the later ones didn't hit quite the same for me. I love the energy of this and despite not really understanding any of the lyrics the rocky feel-good guitar made this such an enjoyable experience overall! Certainly pure vibes squeezed out of 'Soubour' and 'Irganda' straight from a movie soundtrack. It's just a slight shame that as I went through I felt the vibes so be fairly similar but with a bit less gas.

dont know what i was expecting but was super happy with the first half, i wish the rest of the album also had some stronger instrumentals 3.5/5

freakily enjoyed this

Not in my edition of the book! 2015. 3 stars. Intriguing African blues band. Well done of its kind, but the tracks do tend to blur into each other. Not sure I'd listen to it again, but glad I did.

Blues del desierto. Me ha gustado mucho, sobre todo por (1) ser algo diferente a la mayoría de álbumes de esta lista y (2) la historia que hay detrás del álbum. Músicos de Mali que tuvieron que huir por amenazas islamistas en un periodo de conflicto, teniendo que grabar el álbum (oportunamente titulado "Música desde el exilio") en EE. UU. Música relajante, ideal para tener de fondo, llena de armonías vocales preciosas. Aunque precisamente esa cualidad tranquila hace que el álbum en su conjunto se acabe haciendo un poco largo y repetitivo.

Cool sound!

Irganda was a highlight for me. Good stuff

The guitar work on here was unique and interesting. I enjoyed the music but am not generally a fan of group vocals which is most of this album.

This album was fine, and I thought the last 4 or so songs were good and fun to listen to, but as someone that is not a blues fan, generally, I found the first half of the album rather bland. Even though I can definitely recognize the adversity these musicians went through and what this album may mean for their story and where they come from, ultimately, compared to all the other music made in the last 70 years, I do not believe this album belongs on this list. I would much rather hear something more traditional or maybe more rock-inspired that has more edge to it.

Banging Intro track All songs in the first half are very catchy, groovy songs Back half starts to get a bit meandering The melody of the chant during the closing track is so good

Good at times, but not really my music

I find it really hard to rate these international albums. Given off of just vibes honestly this album was great. I loved the use of the main voice with the background “response” voices, even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics the use of the voice as an instrument really good. I loved also the actual instrumentation, it carried a lovely vibe with it I thoroughly enjoyed, especially through the guitar. My complaint however, and it definitely comes from my oblivious and ignorant ear as someone quite far removed from this kind of music generally, is that the whole album kinda sounds the exact same. There isn’t much distinction for me between one song and another and it makes the album feel like it carries on for far too long. It’s a good vibe in the beginning, but by the end it feels old. I definitely did like this album though a lot more than I was expecting and I’m glad I was exposed to it.

Ok, so I liked this album, but I'm going to show my Western bias and not rate it higher than a 3 simply because I don't know what they're saying and can't connect with the music. But, it sounds good, the musicianship is excellent, and I appreciate having heard it. Nice bluesy African stylings and I like the guitar lines. I wouldn't mind hearing it again, but doubt I'd dig deeper into it. Songs that caught my attention: the first three tracks were pretty compelling, particularly on close listen - Soubor, Irganda, and Al Hassidi Terei. But then I kind of drifted. Ai Tchere Bele caught my attention on every listen, and then I found I liked the remaining tracks. 3 feels lazy, but that's what I'm going with.

Pretty great album all around. Not sure I'd listen again but glad to have heard it.

Neat

It was okay but I’m not racing home to put on my songhoy blues

This was cool! Don’t know how much I would revisit but it was good

nothing more "world music" than being from Timbuktu

Goeie groove, leuke kennismaking met deze afrorock. De inspiratie voor deze band is on point en grappig om te lezen dat dan ook ineens Damon Albarn en Julian Casablancas betrokken zijn bij het overvliegen van deze jongen naar Europa om een plaat te maken en shows te spelen. Echter verwacht ik niet deze plaat nog veel vaker op te zetten. 7/10

Irganda was my fave track. Reminds me of Amadou & Miriam.

I love this guys’ energy, but I can’t understand them.

Not special, but enjoyable.

...fine? A combination of African and western music, but kinda lacking interesting sides of either. Nothing horribly offensive or particularly memorable. Might reveal more on further listens, but not particularly driven to listen again.

Very good blues band

was nice

Very fun record, different than my usual listening habits.

I was not expecting to like this album as much as I did. Songhoy Blues did a beautiful job incorporating African traditionalism and deep American southern blues. You could play this anywhere in America with English lyrics and people would never know the difference. Soubour, the opening song, immediately grabs you and pulls you in The song Nick also could’ve been straight outta the Mississippi Delta, while songs like Al Hassidi Terei pulled in more of an authentic African feel. If I had a complaint it’s that autocorrect can’t figure out how to spell these song names and it’s pissing me off. I can definitely say this is one of those 1001 Must Listen to albums, and I am grateful I had the chance.

Random thoughts: * Never heard of this before but I enjoyed it overall. * Cool to hear blues mixed with African music. * I would like to check out the documentary now. * Music can never be stopped!

i get why this is here but musically i didn’t feel very strongly about this album. it was cool to listen to singing in languages other than english every once in a while though.

Some nice covers

Loving the music, the vocals don't always bring it home for me though. Solid 3

its alr. cool back story i kind of hate this site calls anything thats not traditionally western or european sounding it gets called "world music". thats not a genre this genre has a name... probably idk actually know what to call this. dessert blue ig thats what they call it.

***An ok album

I'm not an expert in desert blues by any stretch, but the few albums I've heard of it so far have all sounded good, and this one's no exception.

Perfectly listenable album; I like it better than a lot of the stuff on the list but I suspect that it was included more because of the documentary about the musicians than this being among the most un-missable albums from 2015.

Desert blues! My favorite "new" genre I've discovered this past decade. I'm a big fan of Bombino, Mdou Moctar, and Tinariwen. I somehow never sat down and listened to these guys, though. It's good. And a touching story regarding their formation as, well, exiles. I would't say this is my favorite desert blues album by any stretch, but it's a solid album.

Music's great but exiles suck.

These guys are from Mali, and I appreciate the opportunity to hear some music from Africa. Unfortunately I don’t understand the language; perhaps it would be more enjoyable if I did. The music was good, but not memorable.

As a linguist, I like this a lot, because - quote from the band - "We always try to sing in as many languages as possible. The languages we speak every day are Songhoy, Bambara, French, and English." How many Songhoy language albums are on this list? I bet not a lot! (Although maybe I'm wrong, since I never would have predicted this one, either.) As a non-linguistic listening experience, it's chill & pleasant, but nothing that'll stick with me (even though the band's story is obviously compelling). A 3 with a side of respect. Highlights: 'Irganda', "Petit Metier' , 'Desert Melodie'

Good musicians with an interesting style.

Interesting beat

Was okay, interesting beats. Overall pretty chill.

Neat

This was interesting. Pretty decent tunes.

puntos extras por ser otro idioma que no sea inglés

Great. Favorite tracks: - Petit Metier - Mali

some good songs, but wouldn't listen to it again

на любителя, мне не оч зашло. местами напомнило кинг гизард

Just flat out excellent blues rock that transcends cultural barriers.

Mais um breve contato com o desert blues. Sempre interessante como esses artistas mesclam elementos já estabelecidos da música ocidental com melodias, escalas e padrões rítmicos distintos, trazendo um ar de novidade. Acho que não é o melhor disco que já ouvi dessa glr, mas foi sem dúvidas um baita disco.

There are some vibes on here, Petit Metier was a standout for me. Cool story behind the group.

Better than I expected, some decent tunes on this. A bit front loaded though.

Quite good

Surprising. Won't listen to again any time soon, but stoked these Mali boys escaped the Mali civil war and wrote a blues/rock album.

Unique blues sound, well executed.

Not bad but I'm a language I don't know.

A bit of a random choice, but a welcome inclusion to add bit more variety to the musical genres presented in this list. It is a nice little record, although I'm sure there must be some better representatives of this kind of music out there. I don't think this is Tishoumaren like other people are saying, because if it was, why not choose Tinariwen instead, arguably the most famous artist of the genre. This is probably some other kind of african music.

I liked the music, even if the words meant nothing to me.

I enjoyed the first few songs quite a lot! IMO it trailed out a little towards the end, but still an enjoyable listen

Pretty good as background music.

A blending of western and African; good background music, but nothing I would seek out.

I have never met an African album I didn't like, and this is no exception. Fantastic guitar work and mesmerizing layers of rhythm. I'll definitely listen to this again. I just wish I had a translation. Sad to hear about the suffering in Mali, but this is a good way to educate a privileged westerner like me. I hope they have a lot more success.

Cool sound and good vibe. I love knowing that music from this part of the world is the origin point of the blues and then is mixed back into it

I really don’t understand all the comparisons to Ali Farka, just because they share his last name. Songhoy Blues is a lot more western sounding, taking more inspiration from 50’s rock n’ roll than blues. And it’s not half bad. Mostly western rn’r with that cool call/response vocals that seem to be à western african thing (I don’t have enough knowledge to state it confidently). Don’t think I’ll ever listen to the album again, but I didn’t hate it. I even liked Petit Métier quite a bit

African blues rock, kind of cool and kind of repetitive.

Þetta er hress Mali-blús og gæti togast í fjarka ef ég hlusta meira, en eftir tvær hlustanir er þetta rock solid 3,3.

It’s clearly a foreign language, yet I can totally picture my dad’s generation humming along. Transcending genres, music is truly universal.

Solid. Really enjoyable vibe. Nothing super new about this other than that there is a nice Mali feel to an old genre. 3/5, would bop again.

Gud vocals, the band has a touching story too, just not the kinda music I will listen to

Desert Blues, what a thing! Very interesting if a bit repetitive. Lovely voices/harmony and great guitar work. Sounds almost Indian. North Mali specific. Imagine the banning of music. Religion is such nonsense. 3/5

Instrumentally very good and an interesting mix of western and African.

like the sound, no idea what they’re saying but very groovy

I've never once listened to "Desert Blues" or timbuktu punk as it was originally described, but i'm a fan. You experience the emotional sorrow of the blues while still maintaining the distinct sound that put them on the map. I'm a fan.

Weltmusik. Warum nicht? Handgemacht. Sauber produziert.

This isn't my thing at all but it's good, and v fun

Bit different. Nice to hear something not from America or the UK.

from the onset. NOT what i was expecting at all. rock/blues with some beautiful blues guitar riffs and with african influence beats...but... Started off brilliantly and then kind of withered and got a bit monotonous

Cool International blues sound. Don't think it reinvented the wheel or anything but a fun album

Soubour // Al Tchere Bele // Petit Metier //

Fav: Al Hassidi Terei Least Fav: Wayei

I love me some tuareg blues, this was close enough that I recognize the connect. I like it a bit more rough with buzzing guitars if possible, but I did thoroughly enjoy this listen. Can't promise to return to Songhoy Blues's music, but I know I'll continue to spin Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar.

Like it. One of the suggested that actually paid off as in being good and well done.

This was as good or better than any of the world style records on this list

- Having run away from their hometown, Songhoy Blues created an album reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles - They obviously have faced adversity, and the music they created is still music, and they have some banging beats - No, it's not the first time I've listened to this, and yes, it still resonates with me.

This was a good album. The melodies were a lot of fun. Probably not an album or band I come back to very often, but a pretty enjoyable blues album. I always forget about how much I like the blues until I listen to it again. Liked Songs: "Soubour" , "Irganda" , "Nick" , "Wayei"

Lyder godt! Jeg kan godt lide sådan noget her. Kunne godt have sneget sig op på 4 hvis den var kommet når det var varmt udenfor

The genre was nice. I got a bit fatigued towards the end - It lost some pacing and it became less interesting to hear.

Worthy successors of Ali Farka Toure's legacy building the link between West Africa and the US Songhoy Blues blend blues rythyms with more sophisticated Malian techniques on Music in Exile. Soubour combines Malian lead with blues rhythm sections. Al Hassidi Terei goes one step further by incorporating time signature changes and polymeters(?). Sekou Oumarou finds the synthesis with a stripped back 2/4 call and response. Nick sounds like something straight out of the Chess back catalogue with a strong electric 12-bar blues. Al Tchere Bele takes us furthest away from the blues paradigm featuring complex rythyms and anxious guitar melodies and vocals. Kaira Arby provides beautiful backing vocals to Wayei, another track closer to Malian traditional music. Petit Metier starts with a familiar yet distinctive vocal intro before introducing almost gospel choir call and response. Jolie begins with a syncopated ballad before slowly building up to something reminiscent of Rokia Kone's Bamanan (2022). Desert Melodies and Mali round out the album with simple traditional sounding techniques on guitar and vocal. While many of the tracks feature virtuoso Malian, blues and R&B guitar they are mixed bass forward, recognising the importance of the rhythm section in all the styles they incorporate.

A very groovy and fun African blues rock record that sadly just didn’t really stick with me

Pretty cool

alot better than i thought it would be

I’m surprised by how well this list covers West African music, and it seems especially tapped into the “desert blues” scene. That is really cool, like, legitimately, especially considering how spotty this book is otherwise when it comes to ~world music~ from other continents. (For this reason, I won’t be at all shocked if a new edition includes an album from Mdou Moctar.) Unfortunately, Music in Exile isn’t really my personal vibe. It’s clear that Songhoy Blues are talented as fuck, with chaotic yet tight as screws rhythms and guitar shreds for days. They mostly use this talent to make some pretty standard-fare blues rock, though, which is disappointing and a clear waste. The best moments on this record are the ones that seamlessly combine West African musical elements with American blues traditions, leading to a frenzied, Afrobeat flurry. When that touch is light – or worse, nonexistent – it starts to drag, and the charm is lost completely. And it’s really a 40/60 split between a unique approach and bland pastiche. I think Music in Exile is pretty decent, but it’s not as interesting as the description on the tin makes it sound.

Really fun discovery. Exactly what I love about this website and working through the 1,000

Really interesting listen 3/5

3.3 stars rounded down.

Cool stuff.

Unfathomably uninmpressing

Cool instrumentation and rhythms in play, but not really my style. Cool for a bit, but I can’t latch onto the song structure or melodies.

It was interesting to me that even though I couldn't understand the words, the blues spoke for itself. I liked that.

Good when in a particular mood. Happy to be introduced to it.

Achei bem interessante, mas é aquele tipo de musica que precisa de um pouco mais de dedicação para entender as letras, entrar no universo e pegar a vibe.

Mabey I’m overly cynical here today but this just felt gimmicky. Interesting concept of having African dudes playing blues music but I just didn’t buy it. Good effort and maybe I’m wrong. Side note this seems like it is one of the most current records I have had to listen to on this list.

I haven't been a big fan of most of the "world music" in this list, but this one hits a little different. A real guitar-driven, bluesy feel but with some African flair mixed in. Not bad for a few guys from (literally) Timbuktu.

Sympa !

cool sound, a genre I should listen to more

6.5/10. It's a really intriguing album. I think that the desert blues vibe is nice. That being said, it isn't really for me. It does have some really nice songs on it. Sorry!!! :)

I liked it. Maybe to much of the African vibe at times. But I can live with it. Didnt understand much of the lyrics thought

new sound for me, cool but not really my sort of thing

This was fine. Nothing that blew my mind - but nothing I was turned off about.

Moderne afrikansk bluesrock, rytmisk, underholdende

Snapte er niks van, maar wel vibey

It's hard to imagine being forced to flee your home and start a new life. It's amazing they channeled their story into something beautiful and positive and continued to spread the sounds of their roots. Kinda dig the Mali blues!

That was a pleasant surprise. This is why this album project is so appealing to me, I get to hear things I never would otherwise. Despite having no idea what these guys are singing about this still manages to be really catchy, toe-tapping stuff. I enjoyed the music from the very first minute, and can hear the emotions in the later songs. This album is an interesting journey.

Интересная музыка, но не понятно как альбом оказался в этом списке

Another interesting item this project has thrown up, great rhythms, melodies. Think because of me not being unable to speak the language I’m missing out on an important part of what when are expressing if the wiki entry is anything to go by, but still great music all the same, and will have to take a-look at the documentary.

The first few tracks are good, but songs in the middle seems to be a bit dull as no exciting changes in music happened, then in Petit Metier music begins to become more interseting again. I appreciate the unique sound it brings but I can't deny that it's a bit homogeneous somehow. I do like the music though, probably a 3/5-3.5/5.

This is a really interesting album with a really interesting story. A group of fellas so determined to play rock and roll that they are forced to leave their own country due to shariah law. It’s old school blues/rock n roll, but there’s some very clearly defined African influences as well, which makes for a fun album to listen to. I’m definitely more impressed by their story and commitment to the music than I am by their actual songwriting, which is honestly nothing special. It’s a fun album and I think it’s pretty well done, but I probably won’t be listening to it again. 3 stars.

It’s nice to finally get something from outside of North America or Europe, and this album comes to us from Mali. It’s predominantly a rock and roll album tinged with blues and a clear influence from North African music. I enjoyed the experience of listening to this album, but it’s too much of a traditional rock n roll album for me to really get super excited about. “Wayei” was my favorite track. 6.5/10

Much more fun than I thought it would be. Though I can’t understand what they are singing about the rhythms make you feet tap and the singing is infectious.