Afrik TounMé

These are difficult days in Mali, with political upheaval adding to the problems brought by COVID-19, but great music is still being released. Afel Bocoum and Oumou Sangaré may be the best-known artists with new albums this summer, but Sidi Touré is also worth checking out. Now based in Bamako, but originally from the ancient city of Gao, he’s a guitarist and singer-songwriter whose style is influenced by Songhai folklore, but will appeal to fans of desert blues. It’s a crowded field, I agree, and there are several other great guitar-playing Tourés, but Sidi has created a distinctive, tuneful and cheerful style of his own. He started out playing acoustic, recorded with an amplified band on 2018’s Toubalbero, but now works as part of a trio, backed by the fine guitarist Mamadou Kelly (who played with the great Ali Farka Touré and Afel Bocoum) and calabash player Boubou Diallo.

The result is an easy-going, entertaining set that’s notable both for the intricate, intertwining guitar work of Sidi and Mamadou, and for Sidi’s fine, relaxed vocals. Most of the songs are the same length (around four and a half minutes) and upbeat – the best, ‘Tchaw Yan’ (Knowledge) is about the importance of science in the drive for progress. I would love to hear the trio playing live – preferably on a hot evening on the banks of the Niger.