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Singing away the blues

Songhoy Blues trumped a ban by Islamic rebel group Ansar Dine to make music. The Mali boys, who will be in India for NH7Weekender, are confident of making Indian's sway, says Amrita Madhukalya

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How do you make music in a country where music is forbidden? How do you deal with the diktats of fanatics who take over your country and tell you to stop the music? Mali boys Garba, Oumar and Aliou Touré, who grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix and American blues, did not only overcome the trying situations at home but also banded together with Songhoy Blues.

"Before we moved to Bamako in 2012, playing and living under the rule of Islamic militants in Timbuktu was impossible. (Rebel group) Ansar Dine issued a diktat saying that music would henceforth be banned. We simply had to run away. We had no idea that one day we could be forbidden from playing music, because music is universal. We really decided to leave when we discovered that legal authorities were unable to help us," says lead vocalist Aliou.
Life in Mali before the ban was "really pleasant", he says as he fondly remembers growing up listening to Ali Farka Touré, the country's guitar legend. When life got difficult in the northern part of the country, they fled to Bamako, the capital city, where forming the band seemed a way of getting the best out of the trying times.

"Some of us who had come away to Bamako from the north decided to have a small get-together for a friend's wedding. At the wedding, we were asked to perform, and we sang without much practice. But it was fabulous. That was the first time we all played together. We met again the next day, and soon decided to form Songhoy Blues," says Aliou.

Luck was in store for the newly-formed band. A few months after they came together, a friend told them that Africa Express was in town scouting for local talent. So, in September last year, they met producer Marc Antoine. Impressed with their music, Antoine put them in touch with Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and they were soon making music with Zinner. "Coming away to Bamako was a blessing in disguise for us. Nick has been very kind to us, and it was a good experience working with him," says Aliou. The band was featured in the last Africa Express album, Madison de Jeunes, which also featured Damon Albarn of Gorillaz and Blur. Albarn decided to play mentor to the band, in a way launching their international career. They have performed for the BBC and have also played at many music festivals in Europe.

They are now excited about performing in India this weekend. "India is very present in Africa on television, so it is great for a band like us to get the opportunity to play here. It's a different audience but they will sway to Songhoy Blues for sure," says Aliou.

As he stamps the final word, Aliou speaks of the enormous odds and the way forward. "As long as all the universal rights don't extend to everyone on this planet, without distinction of race and colour, there will be no world peace."
Songhoy Blues performs in Pune on November 21 and in Delhi on November 29.

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