2023 Charity Shop Purchases #74 - Songhoy Blues - Résistance
My third African purchase in around six weeks and my second one from Mali after Tinariwen. I'll be giving Ernie a run for his money shortly
The band Songhoy Blues consisting of Aliou Toure, Garba Toure, Oumar Toure (all unrelated ) and Nathanael Dembele hail from Timbuktu with the band being formed in Bamako after they were forced to leave their homes during civil conflict.
Africa Express, a group of American and European musicians and producers led by Damon Albarn , visited Bamako to record an album of collaborations with the band auditioning successfully. This ensured international recognition which many similar bands were not privy to. This also led to trips to the US and slots on the festival circuit in the UK and the obligatory appearance on Later with Jools Holland.
From 2017 and on the Transgressive label Résistance is the second of their three albums to date and was recorded in London.. As you might expect they were championed by The Guardian who write that their original influences were desert blues and traditional Songhai styles, but here these are transformed by tight, attacking riffs, jangling funk guitar work and the addition of brass and keyboards. Iggy Pop and London Grime MC Elf Kid both make an appearance on the album as does The Children's Choir of the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, London
Despite all that there are still some pretty good tunes on the album.
Having listened to these and considering another of their albums, I think they are better live, the studio does not seem able to capture them at their best
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it has been slightly "watered down" to appeal to a wider international audience
DeleteBlimey. You go away for a week...
ReplyDelete