From the first listening to Héritage, the much-awaited fourth album by Songhoy Blues, it is clear that the 4-piece rock band from northern Mali are in a new frame of mind.  With Héritage, they move into a more acoustic, creative re-imagining of the “desert blues” style that has brought them to world fame. 

The Songhoy are an ethnicity living along the bend of the Niger river in northern Mali (their language is Songhai, hence the two spellings that are often used interchangeably). Songhoy music is one of the backbones of the “desert blues” sound. Songhoy Blues pay tribute to some of the great musicians of the past, whose work continues to inspire them, giving ‘a big thank you to the ancestors who bequeathed works of art so that future generations could orient themselves’.  

For over a decade, when not on tour, the four members of Songhoy Blues, three of whom are originally from the north, have been based in Bamako, capital of Mali, unable to return to their homeland, where musicians are in real danger of their lives because of religious fanaticism that sees music as ‘haram’ (a sin). 

Charismatic, articulate and creative, the band burst onto the scene in 2013 with a powerful style and stage manner once described as “Timbuktu Punk”. Their songs deal with issues of life and love in Mali, and are based on five-note scales, rock rhythms, gritty vocals, and glittering guitar. These elements are ever present in their new album Héritage, but with a more intimate groove laced with other sounds from different ethnic traditions from around the country.  Migration and forced displacement bring new perspectives to the notion of heritage in their music. 

The experience of being in Bamako, an intensely musical city, with a melting pot of musics, has led Songhoy Blues to rethink their own understanding of the concept of tradition. It does not come from one single source. “The mixing up of cultures didn’t begin today!” comments lead guitarist Garba Touré.

Héritage was recorded in the Remote Records Studio and Studio Moffou in Bamako, with producer Paul Chandler, and draws on the remarkable wealth of musical talent in the city. The album presents new compositions and reworkings of old classics. It is infused with the ethereal sounds of various traditional instruments, all in the hands of great Malian masters: kora (harp), soku (one-string fiddle), kamalengoni (8 string youth harp), flute, Senufo xylophone, and calabash percussion, plus guest vocalists.

Floating in and out are traces of takamba, the wondrous dance of the Tuareg; plus wassoulou music, Mande griot music, Senufo dance and more. Unexpectedly, a steel guitar wanders in, sounding eerily like the voice of the desert. All these tone colours are brilliantly woven into a rich tapestry which is both familiar and unexpected. All their songs have some element of social critique.  “We are artists, we observe our society and we comment on it, giving advice and critiquing where necessary. This is our role.” says the guitarist Garba Touré.

The 2015 debut, Music In Exile, have seen Songhoy Blues chalk up some remarkable achievements. From their early collaborative work with music icons Damon Albarn, Iggy Pop and Nick Zinner, to unforgettable sets on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury & other festival slots across the globe, to shutting down Royal Albert Hall with their slot on Nile Rodgers' Meltdown Fest, or rocking legendary NYC haunts Max Fish & Union Pool, this band always delivers a live experience to be remembered.

Additionally, whether it’s having appeared in the award-winning documentary film They Will Have To Kill Us First, centred around the civil war in Mali; serving as official ambassadors for WaterAID; performing at the UN Climate Action Summit in NYC’s Central Park; or being featured in The Imperial War Museum’s celebrated 'Culture Under Attack' Exhibit, Songhoy Blues always seek to address the most meaningful aspects of our lives, be it physical, spiritual or emotional. They have seen & endured some of the hardest experiences life has to offer, yet continue bringing joy and pointing to salvation through their music via connection & shared humanity. Héritage represents the next phase of that journey.