Mali, landlocked country, is probably best known in the West for the prodigious output of music. Here are some of our archives of music from Mali.
Luka ft. Salazar - Nadoumanikadi "Luka Productions" is based in a small studio off a busy street in the capital of Bamako. The mural on the outside of the building, with giant microphone and curling graffiti letters is arguably larger than the four walls inside. A repurposed boutique, there are…
Supreme Talent Show, Facebook Danbe by Supreme Talent Show Supreme Talent Show is a Malian duo, Mèlékè Thiathio and MC Waraba. Their music is hard to classify, at least in recognizable Western terms (which may suggest how far the international music scene lags behind). It's bass heavy and the bpms…
Fadimoutou Wallet Inamoud, photo by Ibrahim Ag Aminy Isswat, for lack of a better word, is what people have the habit of calling this particular music from the desert. It's a style that like many things, seems to be localized and specific to one particular region of the world -…
Group Mamelon is a Malian Balani Show outfit taking their name from a hill in Sikasso. Koumba Fri Fri is one of their more popular tracks, recorded in 2010 is an ancient song, updated for the electro age. It translates to "the head dance." The video, like the song, was…
Diggin' through the archives, found a few more Balani Show remixes to share. Enjoy. AlphaMegaMix (DJ Sony) Fousseiny Good Remix Tasouma Woyo
In 2012, I traveled to Bamako to research "Balani Shows," sound system block parties with a dancehall vibe that feature Malian electronic music. A frequent occurrence throughout residential neighborhoods (particularly during school vacations) I had stumbled across them over the years but had never paid much attention. Internet research was…