For younger listeners who take for granted easy access to global music, it's hard to imagine the giddy feeling of discovery prompted by dropping the needle on vinyl and hearing for the first time music by a nomadic Touareg tribe or Gambian griots. The Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series aims to tap into the nostalgic yearning of a certain demographic while introducing a new one to iconic selections from the label's world music catalogue. Featuring newly mastered recordings packaged to precisely replicate the design and feel of the original product, the series kicks off with three releases, two of which showcase African music.

Tuareg Music of the Southern Sahara, released in 1960, traces the ethnic origins of Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar, Les Filles de Illighadad and many others. Extensive liner notes by field recordists Finola and Geoffrey Holiday provide historical background and social context to the music. A range of performances by multiple tribes include ululating vocalisations, which have become a Touareg signature, alongside deeply complex arrangements combining percussion, hand clapping and choral singing.

When Gambian Griot Kora Duets was released in 1979, the kora was an uncommon, but not unknown, instrument to Western listeners. Nevertheless, the virtuosic performances by Alhaji Bai Konte, his son Dembo Konte, and Ma Lamini Jobare struck a resounding chord that still reverberates today, signalling a general appreciation of West African music and particular interest in the 21-stringed harp exalted by royalty.