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Music, Music Review Nov 20, 2020
Recommended Video
Aya Nakamura delivers pure shots of intimate emotion on Aya
- By Joshua Minsoo Kim
- Tags: Music Review, Aya, Aya Nakamura, Warner Music France, France, Mali, Djadja, Doudou, Recommended, Video

Music, Music Review Sep 8, 2020
Recommended
Malian guitarist Sidi Touré dials it back on an all-acoustic, digital-only album
- By Bill Meyer
- Tags: Music Review, Sidi Touré, Mali, guitar, Thrill Jockey, Afrik Toun Mé, acoustic guitar, COVID-19, pandemic, Toubalbero, Bamako, Mamadou Kelly, Boubou Diallo, Africa, Recommended

Music, Music Review May 29, 2020
Recommended Video
Malian singer and activist Oumou Sangaré strips songs from her electrifying 2017 album into their warmest, barest forms on Acoustic
- By Jamie Ludwig
- Tags: Music Review, Nø Førmat, Oumou Sangaré, Mogoya, Acoustic, Mali, Wassalou, Oum Sang, Tony Allen, Sampha, Aunti Flo, blues, Recommended, Video

Blogs, Bleader Feb 26, 2018
Five must-see African films

Five African film classics for this Black Panther moment.
- By Patrick Friel
- Tags: Film, Foreign, On Video, Black Panther, Afro-Futurism, Haile Gerima, Sankofa. Film, Doc Films, Idrissa Ouédraogo, Africa, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso. Black Girl, Ousmane Sembene, Dave Kehr, Touki Bouki, Djibril Diop Mambety, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Yeelen, Brightness, Souleymane Cisse, Bambara, Yaaba, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Waiting for Happiness, Abderrahmane Sissako, Ted Shen

Music, Music Feature Nov 8, 2017
Video
Sights to see at CIMMfest

The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival makes its November debut with feature films about David Bowie, queer punk, New Orleans piano, gospel quartets, Ozzfest, Malian traditional music, and lots more.
- By Leor Galil, Peter Margasak, J.R. Jones, Tal Rosenberg, Luca Cimarusti, Jamie Ludwig, and Reece Pendleton
- Tags: Music Feature, CIMMfest, Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, movies, festival, CIMMfest Spring Fling Thing, We Sold Our Souls for Rock ’n’ Roll, Tom Rush: No Regrets, Scream for Me Sarajevo, Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution, The Public Image Is Rotten, Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together, It Must Make Peace, How They Got Over, Horn From the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, Penelope Spheeris, Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, The Decline of Western Civilization, John Lydon, PiL, Public Image Ltd, Mali, gospel, Bruce Dickinson, Ozzfest, Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, Isidore “Tuts” Washington, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum, Lou Ottens, Davis Theater, Comfort Station, Old Town School of Folk Music, 2350 Last Call: The Neo Story, GMan Tavern, David Bowie: The Last Five Years, Video

Music, Music Feature Sep 6, 2017
Video
The brightest lights at the 2017 World Music Festival

This free fest is a constellation of international stars—including Afrobeat scion Seun Kuti, rambunctious Cape Verdean accordionist Bitori, and Afro-Venezuelan flame keeper Betsayda Machado.
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music Feature, World Music Festival, World Music Festival 2017, World Music Festival Chicago, Salif Keita, Mdou Moctar, Bharath Symphony, Betsayda Machado, Betsayda Machado y la Parranda El Clavo, Eva Salina, Seun Kuti, Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Afrobeat, Nicole Mitchell & Ballaké Sissoko: Bamako*Chicago Sound System, Nicole Mitchell, Ballaké Sissoko, Bitori, Trio Da Kali, L. Subramaniam, Saban Bajramovic, Ragamala, ragas, Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, Tanmoy Bose, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Debashish Bhattacharya, Ambi Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, Bindu Subramaniam, India, Mali, Venezuela, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Talé, Philippe Cohen Solal, Roots Manuva, Esperanza Spalding, Bobby McFerrin, Mamane Diabaté, Aboussi Cissoko, Lema Lema: Eva Salina Sings Saban Bajramovic, Romani, Jalopy Chorus, Sousume Tamachek, Tuareg, Anar, Music From Saharan Cellphones, Sahel Sounds, Christopher Kirkley, Niger, Rain the Color Blue With a Little Red in It, El Clavo, Barlovento, cumbes, cumbe, La Parranda El Clavo, Loé Loá: Rural Recordings Under the Mango Tree, Odelia, Fodé Lassana Diabaté, Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, Mamadou Kouyaté, Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté, Tiken Jah Fakoly, AfroCubism, Lucy Duran, World Circuit, Kronos Quartet, Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet, Victor Tavares, funaná, Analog Africa, accordion, Bitori Nha Bibinha, Legend of Funaná: The Forbidden Music of the Cape Verde Islands, Chando Graciosa, At Peace, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Taj Mahal, Liu Fang, Vincent Segal, Ludovico Einaudi, Driss El Maloumi, Fassery Diabaté, Fatima Kouyaté, Black Earth Ensemble, Jeff Parker, Joshua Abrams, Mankwe Ndosi, Jovia Armstrong, Struggle Songs, Robert Glasper, Video

Blogs, Bleader Oct 18, 2016
Video
Discovering Malian kamalé ngoni virtuoso Vieux Kanté

A posthumous album reveals the prodigious talent of kamalé ngoni innovator Vieux Kanté.
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: 12 O'Clock Track, Music, Post No Bills, Vieux Kanté, Banning Eyre, The Young Man's Harp, kamalé ngoni, donso nogoni, Sinamon, Kabadjan Diakite, 12 O'Clock Track, Mali, Video

Blogs, Bleader Feb 27, 2014
Audio
Mali's Habib Koité returns to the Chicago area in support of a chill new album

The Malian star plays Evanston tonight.
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Habib Koité, Mali, Soô, Drapean, African music, Audio

Blogs, Bleader Mar 6, 2013
12 O'Clock Track: "Beautiful Africa," electrified Malian sounds of Rokia Traore

A driving, extroverted song from the forthcoming electric album by Malian singer Rokia Traore
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: 12 O'Clock Track, Music, Post No Bills, Rokia Traore, Mali, African music, John Parish, Beautiful Africa, Tchamantché, Stefano Pilia, Seb Rochford

Blogs, Bleader Jul 27, 2012
Video
More weekend music: SMOD and Keith Fullerton Whitman

More live music options for busy Chicago weekend
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Celebrate Clark Street, SMOD, Amadou and Mariam, Manu Chao, Mali, Keith Fullerton Whitman, synthesizers, Occlusions, Ca Cache, Lichens, Richard Devine, Alessandro Cortini, Empty Bottle, Video

Blogs, Bleader May 9, 2012
Audio
Malian singer Khaira Arby returns to Chicago

Despite the strife in Mali, Khaira Arby is on the road, and returns to Chicago with strong new music in tow
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Khaira Arby, Chini Chini, Mali, Abdramane Toure, Timbuktu Tarab, Old Town School of Folk Music, African music, Audio

Music, Music Feature Apr 17, 2012
Global vs. local, North African edition

If comparing the Touré-Raichel Collective to Music From Saharan Cellphones proves anything, it’s that foreigners make better music when they aren’t making it for you
- Tags: Music Feature, African music, North Africa, Sahel, Ali Farka Toure, Mali, Vieux Farka Toure, Dave Matthews, Toure-Raichel Collective, Christopher Kirkley, DJ Rupture, WFMU

Blogs, Bleader Apr 17, 2012
Video
12 O'Clock Track: Sidi Touré, "Ni See Ay Ga Done"

A song from Koïma, the new Thrill Jockey release by Malian guitarist Sidi Touré
- By Philip Montoro
- Tags: 12 O'Clock Track, Music, Sidi Toure, Koima, 12 O'Clock Track, Thrill Jockey, Mali, Ni See Ay Ga Done, Bamako, Gao, Azawad, Video

Arts & Culture, Art Critic's Choice Mar 27, 2012
Doing the cha-cha in Bamako

Malick Sidibé pictures Mali’s pop culture revolution
- By Sam Worley
- Tags: Art Critic's Choice, Malick Sidibe, Mali, Bamako, Eye of Bamako, colonialsim

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Sidebar Dec 1, 2011
Muntu Dance Theatre's "Spice It Up"

Nearly 40-year-old dance troupe combines traditional flavors
- By Laura Molzahn
- Tags: Performing Arts Sidebar, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Idy Ciss, wolof, Amaniyea Payne, West Africa, Mali, lamba, bougarabou, jola, Senegal, Reggie Wilson, Diedre Dawkins, Kwame Opare

Blogs, Bleader Sep 27, 2010
Mali's Khaira Arby Delivers at Reggie's

Powerful Malian singer Khaira Arby brought down the house last night at Reggie's Rock Club; she'll try to do it again tonight at the Logan Square Auditorium.
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Khaira Arby, World Music Festival Chicago, Timbuktu Tarab, Logan Square Auditorium, Reggie's Rock Club, Sway Machinery, Kenge Kenge, Mali

Blogs, Bleader Jul 1, 2009
7/2 -- Free Oumou Sangare Concert

Malian singer Oumou Sangare brings her band to Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion.
- By Alex Yablon
- Tags: Free Shit, Swag, Pritzker Pavilion, free, The List, Millenium Park, Oumou Sangare, Mali, Bamako

Music, Critic's Choice Aug 3, 2000
Ali Farka Toure
- By Bill Meyer
- Tags: Critic's Choice, Ali Farka Toure, Mali, Malian, Africa, Guitar, Blues, Acoustic, Park West

Music, Critic's Choice Jul 27, 1995
Ali Farka Toure
- By Peter Margasak
- Tags: Critic's Choice, Ali Farka Toure, Mali, Malian, Guitar, Ry Cooder, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Blues, Cubby Bear

Music, Critic's Choice May 5, 1994
Ali Farka Toure
- By Bill Meyer
- Tags: Critic's Choice, Ali Farka Toure, Mali, Malian, Africa, Guitar, Blues, Ry Cooder, Old Town School of Folk Music

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Five African film classics for this Black Panther moment.

The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival makes its November debut with feature films about David Bowie, queer punk, New Orleans piano, gospel quartets, Ozzfest, Malian traditional music, and lots more.

This free fest is a constellation of international stars—including Afrobeat scion Seun Kuti, rambunctious Cape Verdean accordionist Bitori, and Afro-Venezuelan flame keeper Betsayda Machado.

A posthumous album reveals the prodigious talent of kamalé ngoni innovator Vieux Kanté.

The Malian star plays Evanston tonight.

A driving, extroverted song from the forthcoming electric album by Malian singer Rokia Traore

More live music options for busy Chicago weekend

Despite the strife in Mali, Khaira Arby is on the road, and returns to Chicago with strong new music in tow

If comparing the Touré-Raichel Collective to Music From Saharan Cellphones proves anything, it’s that foreigners make better music when they aren’t making it for you

A song from Koïma, the new Thrill Jockey release by Malian guitarist Sidi Touré

Malick Sidibé pictures Mali’s pop culture revolution

Nearly 40-year-old dance troupe combines traditional flavors

Powerful Malian singer Khaira Arby brought down the house last night at Reggie's Rock Club; she'll try to do it again tonight at the Logan Square Auditorium.

Malian singer Oumou Sangare brings her band to Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion.

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