TINARIWEN / AMASSAKOUL (World Village)

Further evidence that, through its influence on American delta blues, Mali’s musical culture is the closest Africa comes to truly rocking out.  These one-time guerrilla warriors from the south Sahara blend poetry with gritty, spell-binding guitars, upping the edginess we know Malian guitar great Ali Farka Toure for.  Shimmering guitars in the desert, laced with rebel soul.