Songhoy Blues in Helsinki

Songhoy Blues are a Malian band formed in Bamako in 2012 by musicians who had fled conflict and a ban on music in the country’s north. They play guitar-driven desert blues and blues rock. The Nick Zinner-produced debut Music in Exile introduced songs including “Soubour,” while later albums include Résistance and Optimisme. In 2015, Songhoy Blues opened Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage during the touring cycle for Music in Exile. They later performed at festivals including Bonnaroo and Roskilde while taking Résistance and Optimisme on the road.