Songhoy Blues Team with NPR and Tidal to Release Video for 'Bamako'

Today, Songhoy Blues have teamed up with NPR and global music and entertainment platform, Tidal, to release the video for "Bamako," from their upcoming album, Résistance, which Fat Possum Records/Transgressive Records will release on Friday, June 16th. The album features contributions from Iggy Pop, Elf Kid, Stealing Sheep and Lxury.

Fans can watch the video now on TIDAL.com/songhoyblues, and you can embed the full music video using the code here: http://tdl.sh/Bamako

In their premiere of the video, NPR write, "Résistance builds on [the band's] musical vocabulary, incorporating elements of soul, R&B and hip-hop." They add, "['Bamako'] oozes with funk, as staccato bursts of horns and heavy chicken scratch guitars ride a persistent groove celebrating the spirit of the night, the culture, and life, of Malians."

The video was directed by Johanna Schwartz, who also directed the internationally acclaimed documentary They Will Have to Kill Us First, about the band's formation in the wake of the jihadist takeover of northern Mali and their rise to success. Shot in Bamako, the video follows each member of the band as they head out into the city's bustling nightlife, eventually arriving at the famous Tropicana Bar, where the band had a residency during and directly after the conflict. The video, much like the song, is a celebration of the city's cultural offerings, a direct contradiction to the stereotypes of Saharan Africa as war-torn and full of danger.

Résistance is bold, inspiring and outward-looking, perfectly reflecting the position in which the band have found themselves following the massive success of their breakthrough debut, Music In Exile, released in 2015. It was recorded in the autumn of 2016 at The Pool studio in London with producer Neil Comber (MIA, Django Django, Crystal Fighters, Declan McKenna).

With more time and a wider armoury of equipment at their disposal, the album is the sound of Songhoy Blues stretching themselves, with hints of R&B, soul and hip-hop all fusing seamlessly with the band's trademark exuberant sound, with themes for our time that touch on everything from immigration and refugees, to the prevailing stereotypes of Saharan Africa, to nightlife of their hometown of Bamako.

Music In Exile was released to across the board praise, including a 5/5 rating in The Guardian who claimed, "they have all the makings of African-rock crossover heroes." Rolling Stone named the band one of their 10 Artists You Need to Know, calling the album "a churning, loose-limbed garage-rock take on traditional Malian music."

Résistance is already poised to top that, with Uncut calling it "even better" than Music in Exile, and MOJO giving it a 5/5 rating. Clash writes, "The group's Afro-centric adventures are rooted in rhythm, and nowhere is that more evident that on Résistance," while Rolling Stone adds praise for the "skittering disco-tinged guitar vamp [that] slinks through the track alongside spaced-out synth lines and brassy horn blast."

TIDAL's commitment to connecting fans with their favorite musicians has spanned dozens of livestreams, thousands of ticket giveaways, and an extensive array of exclusive content - including: TIDAL X 1015, a star-studded benefit concert; TIDAL X livestreams from Chance the Rapper, Ty Dolla $ign, Alicia Keys and more; exclusive albums such as Beyoncé's LEMONADE and Rihanna's ANTI; unique content including Mr. Eazi's Life is Eazi documentary, Rick Ross' album annotations and more!

Songhoy Blues - Résistance

1. Voter
2. Bamako
3. Sahara (featuring Iggy Pop)
4. Yersi Yadda
5. Hometown
6. Badji
7. Dabari
8. Ici Bas
9. Ir Ma Sobay
10. Mali Nord (featuring Elf Kid)
11. Alhakou
12. One Colour

Songhoy Blues U.S. Tour

September 28
Washington, DC
U Street Music Hall

September 29
New York, NY
Bowery Ballroom

September 30
Boston, MA
City Winery

October 1
Montreal, QC
L'Astral

October 3
Toronto, ON
The Mod Club

October 5
Chicago, IL
Lincoln Hall

October 6
Madison, WI
University of Wisconsin-Madison: The Sett

October 7
Minneapolis, MN
Cedar Cultural Center

October 10
Nashville, TN
The Basement East

October 11
Atlanta, GA
City Winery Atlanta

October 12
Oxford, MS
Proud Larry's

October 13
New Orleans, LA
Tipitina's Uptown

October 13-15
Austin, TX
Austin City Limits

October 18
Solana Beach, CA
Belly Up Tavern

October 19
Los Angeles, CA
Teragram Ballroom

October 20
San Francisco, CA
Bimbo's 365 Club

October 24
Eugene, OR
WOW Hall

October 25
Portland, OR
Doug Fir Lounge

October 26
Seattle, WA
The Crocodile