The sounds of Mali

Songhoy Blues comes to India for the first time to perform at the NH7 Weekender festival

When music was banned in parts of Northern Mali in 2012, Aliou Toure felt as though he was being forbidden to see the woman he loved. "An artist whom you ban from making music is like a body without a soul," says the lead singer and co-founder of Songhoy Blues, a four-piece band that has since shifted to London.

The group is perhaps the single good outcome of the period of unrest, after armed jihadists took control of portions of the Saharan country two years ago. A strict version of Sharia law had been imposed which guided that playing and listening to western music, dubbed Satanic, would result in punishments like whiplashes or jail. This caused Aliou and thousands of musicians to move away from Gao and Timbuktu to the country's capital Bamako. He met Oumar Toure, Garba Toure and Nathanael Dembele there, all from the Songhai ethnic group, and formed the band.

Fleeing their homes was not easy but "we needed to do it," he says."We found in Bamako liberty of expression, which has given us the opportunities we have now." In 2013, a collective of European and American artists called Africa Express travelled to Mali and spotted Songhoy Blues among other bands. They included them in a compilation album titled Maison des Jeunes, marking the beginning of the desert band's global career.

Their maiden album, Music in Exile, is due in 2015. After London, where the group is rapidly evoking interest, India will be the first in a series of countries to see them live. They will perform in the Pune and Delhi editions of music festival NH7 Weekender. As yet untouched by stardom or overproduction, Songhoy Blues's music is both vigorous and uplifting. The desert band is still getting used to international tours. "We are used to playing four-hour sets in Mali but in Europe, it's very different. You need to deal with the time."

For Malians, music has always been a medium for expression, comment and passing on knowledge. "In our society, music sends messages to people, it plays a role on the political and social side more than the media," observes Aliou. The country also has a rich tradition of blues, led by Ali Farka Toure, a renowned artist and Aliou's biggest influence. The bluesman was featured in the Martin Scorsese documentary Feel Like Going Home, which traced the origins of the genre to West Africa.

It was, therefore, unthinkable that anyone would forbid the art. The ban did not prevail for long. The conflict is ongoing but within the music fraternity, things are said to be getting back to normal. "When (the rebels) were in Timbuktu or Gao, it was just impossible (to practise music), but now it is finished. There is music in Timbuktu, in Gao, and Songhoy Blues is alive." The reception in London signals hope for the future but the group misses the desert, where they have not played since they left.

Their spirited anthems, originally written to revive the sounds of Northern Mali for refugees in Bamako, are infused with messages of resolution. In a song called Desert Melody, the band suggests that instead of taking up arms, people should wake up to the call of the arts. In Soubour, the band tells refugees to remain patient. The band also looks up to Jimi Hendrix and John Lee Hooker. The compositions feature fast and fluent guitar work, especially by Garba Toure who executes complex pieces with an impish grin.

"They have a really groovy sound that is also universally appealing. The first time we heard them, we were blown away and just had to book the act," says Arjun Ravi, co-founder of NH7. YouTube videos of Songhoy Blues show the sheer joy in their performances, with band members often spontaneously breaking into a jig. "India is very present in Africa on television, so to get the chance to go there is fabulous," says Aliou. "It is a different audience but they are going to dance with Songhoy Blues for sure."

Songhoy Blues will perform during the NH7 Weekender in Pune (Nov 22) and Delhi (Nov 29)