Songhoy Blues

For their fourth record, these Malian rockers have brought a little desert heat to warm up the chilly January air - they've stripped things back a little this time round, relying on the glossy twang of their acoustic instruments to deliver an uplifting injection of sparky energy that's as good for the soul as it is for the limbs.

With 'Héritage', their 4th LP, 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’.

'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. 'Héritage' is compulsive listening for Songhoy Blues’ fans – at home and abroad - and more widely, fans of desert blues, rock, or just good music.