Press Release: New release, Djitoumou from Idrissa Soumaoro. Knight of the National Order of Mali, in recognition of his services to music, yet at over sixty years of age has only released two albums. His early career embraced membership of Les Ambassadeurs alongside Manfila Kanté and Salif Keita, mentoring Amadou Bagayoko (of Amadou & Mariam) and playing with Ali Farka Toure. He wrote one of Africa’s most famous songs Ancien Combattant (War Veteran), but did not earn royalties as he had not copyrighted the song. Read main article for full press release.
Tinariwen and Andy Morgan have brought to our attention an appeal to help relieve some of the problems caused by severe droughts in the Adagh region of Northern Mali, an area our listeners will be familiar with through the music of Toureg bands Tinariwen, Toumast and Tamikrest. Read the full story and find out how you can help.
New Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate single out now. 'Kala Djula' is the new single from Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, taken from their forthcoming album 'Ali and Toumani'. The follow up to their GRAMMY winning album 'In the Heart of the Moon' is due for release in February 2010. The single is out now on itunes, Amazon, and all good digital music stores. http://www.aliandtoumani.com
Kadialy Kouyate & Sound Archive perform original music inspired by his West African griot roots. Weaving sparkling melodies on his kora. With Fred Thomas on double bass, Lucy Railton on cello and Ben Bryant on percussion.
Tinariwen, master poets and perhaps the coolest guitar players on the planet are up there with Franz Ferdinand, Dizzy Rascal, The Editors, Massive Attack and Orbital - YES the Toureg rebel band from Mali are playing one of Sheffield's main rock venues at last!! It has always been a dream of the band's manager, Andy Morgan to see these masters of the Fender Sratocaster and the Gibson on the same stage as European rock artists. They were booked to play both the main and the pyramid stage at Glastonbury but visa issues resulted in a an unfortunate cancellation....catch them now in our own manor.
The 3rd and final volume in the critically-acclaimed “Belle Epoque” series that tells a 13-year story — from 1970 to 1983— of Mali’s legendary group. Carefully re-mastered, the tracks range from epic workouts with soaring guitars and vocals (“Wale Numa Lombaliya”) to jaunty adverts for skin cream (“Karitea”) and, as such, give a true and compelling picture of African popular music
This is the final piece in the anarchic jigsaw that is the story — as told by world-renowned producer and entrepreneur, Ibrahim Sylla — of Mali’s legendary Rail Band.
News in form Outhere Records : After his award-winning debut album ‘Segu Blue’ (2007) Mali’s ngoni wizard returns with a new offering: ‘I Speak Fula’. The forthcoming album, more up-tempo than its predecessor, captures the incredible live energy of Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba and is the next step forward in the career of one the most exciting and innovative musicians coming out of Africa in recent years.
New release for Afel Bocoum and his group Alkibar, Tabital Pulaaku on Contre Jour. Afel Bocoum and Alkibar constitute one of Mali’s strongest musical voices. Bocoum was mentored by the veritable king of desert blues, his uncle and two-time Grammy award winner, the late Ali Farka Touré. But since his 1999 debut recording Alkibar (on World Circuit), Bocoum has clearly proved to the world that he is his own man.
Rising African star and yes, son of.. Vieux Farka Toure's forthcoming album, Fonda (The Road) will be released on the San Francisco based, Six Degrees Records label in the UK on May 18th. You can download a preview track and read the full post from their blog Global Noize, there's also a very cool photo of Vieux clutching his guitar leaning against his 4x4.
Press Release: New release, Djitoumou 
Tinariwen and Andy Morgan have brought to our attention an appeal to help relieve some of the problems caused by severe droughts in the Adagh region of Northern Mali, an area our listeners will be familiar with through the music of Toureg bands Tinariwen, Toumast and Tamikrest. Read the full story and find out how you can help.
Vieux Farke Toure remixed once more, 
is released on December 15th.
New Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate single out now. 'Kala Djula' is the new single from Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, taken from their forthcoming album 'Ali and Toumani'. The follow up to their GRAMMY winning album 'In the Heart of the Moon' is due for release in February 2010. The single is out now on itunes, Amazon, and all good digital music stores. 
Kadialy Kouyate & Sound Archive perform original music inspired by his West African griot roots. Weaving sparkling melodies on his kora. With Fred Thomas on double bass, Lucy Railton on cello and Ben Bryant on percussion.
Tinariwen, master poets and perhaps the coolest guitar players on the planet are up there with Franz Ferdinand, Dizzy Rascal, The Editors, Massive Attack and Orbital - YES the Toureg rebel band from Mali are playing one of Sheffield's main rock venues at last!! It has always been a dream of the band's manager, Andy Morgan to see these masters of the Fender Sratocaster and the Gibson on the same stage as European rock artists. They were booked to play both the main and the pyramid stage at Glastonbury but visa issues resulted in a an unfortunate cancellation....catch them now in our own manor.
New release for Afel Bocoum and his group Alkibar, 
on Contre Jour. Afel Bocoum and Alkibar constitute one of Mali’s strongest musical voices. Bocoum was mentored by the veritable king of desert blues, his uncle and two-time Grammy award winner, the late Ali Farka Touré. But since his 1999 debut recording Alkibar (on World Circuit), Bocoum has clearly proved to the world that he is his own man.
Rising African star and yes, son of.. Vieux Farka Toure's forthcoming album, Fonda (The Road) will be released on the San Francisco based, Six Degrees Records label in the UK on May 18th. You can download a preview track and read the full post from their blog 
