In 2012 after armed rebellion broke out in northern Mali, Sharia law was imposed, including a ban on all secular music. Islamic fundamentalists were seeking out musicians, burning their instruments in the streets, and, in some cases, even cutting off their hands, according to reports from guitarist Mamadou Kelly. Two months later soldiers overthrew the Mali government, creating turmoil thoughout the country as well as power outages, fuel shortages, and daily curfews in the capital city of Bamako. Many musicians fled to refugee camps in neighboring countries where some remain in exile. Yet in spite of all that has transpired in Mali, the music has not been silenced. Over the past year, new releases have been piling up in our office, the bulk coming from ethnic Tuareg musicians in the north. Hence the title for this article, which refers both to the troubled times as well as the proliferation of the music from northern Mali known internationally as the “desert blues.” Following is a brief description of these nine albums (see Part 1 and Part 2). - See more at: http://blackgrooves.org/music-from-mali-the-desert-blues-part-1/#sthash.PnCBbxWQ.dpuf