The semi-arid belt south of the Sahara — Mali, Niger, Mauritania, northern Nigeria, and Sudan. The region is the heartland of the Mande griot tradition, the Tuareg desert blues popularised by Tinariwen, and the kora and ngoni string traditions that fed directly into the Blues.
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Folk & WorldWassoulouSouthern Malian roots-pop fronted by women — hunter-society soundscape and explicit lyrics about women's lives in West African society.
Blues & CountryTuareg Desert BluesSaharan electric-guitar blues from Tuareg musicians, long-form, hypnotic, and rooted in exile politics.
Folk & WorldSudanese Folk and Aghani al-BanatSudanese women's celebration songs — drumming and improvised vocal verse for weddings and rites of passage, traditionally a women-only space.
Folk & WorldMande Griot TraditionWest African hereditary praise-singing tradition with the kora harp-lute at its core.
Folk & WorldMauritanian Iggawin MusicMauritanian Moorish hereditary musician tradition with its own modal theory matched to emotional 'colors.'
