Tinariwen And The Blues

When it comes to conversation about the blues, some here in North American will naturally infuse the discussion with iconic names such as Arthur Blake, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Lead Belly, Mamie Smith and a host of others notables. Not until recently, has the talk broadly tied American blues to its real origins – West Africa.

When talking about West African blues and its role as the birthplace of the genre, as well as i’s imprint on North American blues, the music of Mali’s Grammy Award-winning band Tinariwen belongs in the conversation.