Songhoy Blues

Opening Songhoy Blues’ discography is like opening the doors to the desert: being enveloped in a sandstorm is probably not unlike being surrounded by the rock whirlwinds of this Malian band. After nearly fifteen years and four albums, it is impossible to disentangle their music from the desert, which is practically an additional member of the group. Their blues-rock winds its way like a jeep crossing the dunes.

Like Tinariwen or Les Amazones d'Afrique, Songhoy Blues have become spokespeople for the lament of the Tuareg people. It is a story of movement and exile that the band members can tell firsthand because, owing to the jihadist threat, they were forced to relocate from their native Timbuktu to the north of the country. Once settled there, the Africa Express project, led by Damon Albarn, discovered Songhoy Blues around 2013 during a trip to explore Bamako’s music scene. Two years later, supported by the British platform, they debuted with Music in Exile. Songhoy Blues will perform on October 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Sala Upload.