Biography
Songhoy Blues emerged as a desert blues quartet from Mali, channeling political fury and the turmoil of civil conflict into their sound after jihadist forces displaced them from their northern homes. Their live shows and recordings seek to evoke the essence of that region, whether on the 2015 debut Music in Exile, the harder-rocking Optimisme from 2020, or the 2025 release Héritage, where the musicians turned to acoustic and traditional instruments to reconnect with Malian musical origins.
The group came together in 2012 at a Bamako university, when Oumar Touré, Aliou Touré, and Garba Touré—none of them related—joined forces amid the northern unrest that had driven them southward as refugees. Adding drummer Nathanael Dembele, they established themselves on the local circuit with a blend of traditional and contemporary songwriting reminiscent of fellow Malians Ali Farka Touré and Baba Salah. French manager Marc-Antoine Moreau, acting for the Africa Express label, discovered them, leading to their first recordings on the Maison des Jeunes compilation alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner. An album-supporting concert brought the quartet to Britain late in 2013, followed by further appearances in 2014 across London, Glasgow, and the WOMAD Festival.
During that U.K. visit they secured a contract with Transgressive Records and headed back into the studio with Zinner in 2014, resulting in Music in Exile, issued in February 2015 and featuring Zinner’s guitar plus backing vocals from Blur’s Damon Albarn. The band also appeared in the documentary They Will Have to Kill Us First. Critical praise followed, along with prominent festival performances such as Green Man, after which they returned to recording. Their second album, Resistance, arrived in 2017; produced in London by Neil Comber and carrying guest contributions from Iggy Pop and Elf Kid, it reflected sessions with the M.I.A. and Goldfrapp veteran.
In 2019 Songhoy Blues issued the Meet Me in the City EP, whose five tracks embraced covers of Junior Kimbrough and Fela Kuti material alongside a fresh composition written with indie folk artist Will Oldham. Optimisme followed in 2020, heralded by the singles “Worry,” “Badala,” and “Barre,” pushing further into hard-rock territory while preserving Malian rhythmic foundations. For the subsequent album the musicians worked in Bamako with acoustic instruments such as the kora, soku, and kamalengoni. Blending new pieces with reinterpretations of compositions by Malian ensembles including Orchestre Kanaga de Mopti, Héritage appeared in 2025.
The group came together in 2012 at a Bamako university, when Oumar Touré, Aliou Touré, and Garba Touré—none of them related—joined forces amid the northern unrest that had driven them southward as refugees. Adding drummer Nathanael Dembele, they established themselves on the local circuit with a blend of traditional and contemporary songwriting reminiscent of fellow Malians Ali Farka Touré and Baba Salah. French manager Marc-Antoine Moreau, acting for the Africa Express label, discovered them, leading to their first recordings on the Maison des Jeunes compilation alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner. An album-supporting concert brought the quartet to Britain late in 2013, followed by further appearances in 2014 across London, Glasgow, and the WOMAD Festival.
During that U.K. visit they secured a contract with Transgressive Records and headed back into the studio with Zinner in 2014, resulting in Music in Exile, issued in February 2015 and featuring Zinner’s guitar plus backing vocals from Blur’s Damon Albarn. The band also appeared in the documentary They Will Have to Kill Us First. Critical praise followed, along with prominent festival performances such as Green Man, after which they returned to recording. Their second album, Resistance, arrived in 2017; produced in London by Neil Comber and carrying guest contributions from Iggy Pop and Elf Kid, it reflected sessions with the M.I.A. and Goldfrapp veteran.
In 2019 Songhoy Blues issued the Meet Me in the City EP, whose five tracks embraced covers of Junior Kimbrough and Fela Kuti material alongside a fresh composition written with indie folk artist Will Oldham. Optimisme followed in 2020, heralded by the singles “Worry,” “Badala,” and “Barre,” pushing further into hard-rock territory while preserving Malian rhythmic foundations. For the subsequent album the musicians worked in Bamako with acoustic instruments such as the kora, soku, and kamalengoni. Blending new pieces with reinterpretations of compositions by Malian ensembles including Orchestre Kanaga de Mopti, Héritage appeared in 2025.
Albums
Héritage
2025
Bon Bon
2021
Optimisme
2020
Meet Me in the City - EP
2019
Résistance
2017
Music In Exile
2015
Singles
