Episode 135: Desert Passage

Today is a special episode for fans of the desert blues sound from Mali and neighboring West African countries. This will be another installment of one of my longest running themes on the show; today we embark on another Desert Passage in Africa. I will be able to share with you material from two sources that are very deep dives into the pool of great music from this area. Today I have 2 rare treats for you: first is one of the truly scarce mid-70s albums by Rail Band of Bamako, Mali’s capital city. I just got a clean copy of this album and I’ll be sharing songs from that vinyl rarity. Second is a new release on the Deviation Records label out of France, a 2-LP set titled Super Biton De Ségou – Afro-Jazz-Folk Collection Vol.1. Super Biton released exactly 3 LPs of material in the 70s and no more. This collection fills in gaps with some previously unreleased live and studio tracks, it is a lost treasure from one of West Africa’s all-time great bands.