- Title: MUSIC-SONGHOY BLUES Malian quartet Songhoy Blues makes music in exile
- Date: 29th May 2015
- Summary: SONGHOY BLUES DRUMMER NATHANAEL DEMBELE SOUNDCHECKING SONGHOY BLUES BASS GUITARIST OUMAR TOURE AND ALIOU TOURE SOUNDCHECKING
- Embargoed: 13th June 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAC58KO9Q44KNJ8D83D3UCZLE5I
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The crowd gets ecstatic as the Malian quartet Songhoy Blues takes over the stage of London's Village Underground on Thursday (May 28), bringing its relentlessly upbeat African rhythms and melodies to the British capital.
While all smiles on stage, the band's history isn't all that cheerful. Natives of the north of Mali, musicians had to flee their homes after the Islamist militants took over their part of the country in 2012.
"It was a question of life or death there not only for us in particular but for the whole population of civilians. We are talking about jihad here, we are talking about Islamists, we are talking about the armed groups. In such circumstances when your security is under threat, one better escape somewhere where they can be offered safety. That is exactly the reason why us and most of the northern population moved down south," Songhoy Blues singer and guitarist Aliou Toure said ahead of the London's sold-out gig.
Before the crisis, Mali had a reputation as a rare example of a stable democracy in a tumultuous region. The imposed Sharia law was interpreted as banning a wide variety of activities, including music or any other form of entertainment. For Toure this was the last straw.
"Under the Sharia at that point the music was censored. There was no authority in place, the state didn't exist, it all coincided with the coup d'etat, there were problems left and right. Radical jihad reigned - you steal, they cut off your hand. They see you with a girl - they whip you, they see music in your phone - they take it away and break it. They see you with an instrument in your hands - they break it."
After escaping Timbuktu for Bamako - the country's capital down in the south - Toure met guitarist Garba Toure and bassist Oumar Toure, who were also studying and playing music in Timbuktu prior to the invasion of jihadists. Even though they hold the same last name, the musicians are not related. The drummer Nathanael Dembele joined the band in Bamako.
The band initially played at friends' weddings and events before being discovered by the Africa Express project that aims to bring the African music into the mainstream. Collaborations with such prominent musicians as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist Nick Zinner and Blur's Damon Albarn followed shortly, with the band opening for Albarn during his gig at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2014.
"For us, being able to showcase our culture away from home is like being ambassadors. Every time we get on stage we present the band as 'Songhoy Blues du Mali' or as 'Songhoy Blues from Mali'. And when there is a word Mali after the name of the band - this puts a lot of weight on our shoulders, this is a lot of responsibility, it is as if we are carrying a flag. Like a national football team, it's the same thing for us, we are the Mali ambassadors. The moral pressure follows us wherever we play. So it is very important for us to make sure we keep the face of our culture," Toure admitted.
Earlier this year Songhoy Blues released its debut album 'Music in Exile' that includes their hit 'Al Hassidi Terei' and that tracks the culture of their country as well as the Malian conflict. As the singer explained, they see music as very powerful tool that allows to send any message across the world in an instant.
"The words of music are often more important than any sort of political discourse. (The music) is much higher than the political discourse. Everybody listens to it, it gets everywhere. When people listen to your music, they are looking to find the meaning of your music and so your message travels across the world in an instant. That is why for us it is indeed music in exile," Toure said.
While the band's music is mainly the fusion of rhythms and tunes from the north and the south of Mali, they are also influenced by a lot of modern western musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, adding the rock sound to the music
The band showcased their debut album at SXSW festival in the U.S. earlier this year and will play a few festivals during the summer before returning to London to headline their show at Camden's KOKO on November 4th. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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