You Must Hear 7

mali

Last updated: Thu Oct 30 2025 10:36:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Description

Malian music blends traditional West African instruments like the kora, ngoni, and balafon with desert blues guitar styles and diverse vocal traditions from the country's many ethnic groups. The genre reflects Mali's rich musical heritage, incorporating griot storytelling traditions, Wassoulou rhythms, and Tuareg desert sounds. Its hypnotic melodies and intricate polyrhythms create a distinctive sound that bridges ancient and contemporary African musical expressions.

100 chronological releases

Place	Cover	Date	Artist	Album	Tags	Other places
77		1977	Various Artists	Mali	africa mali	africa # 56
40		1985	Bembeya Jazz National	Bembeya Jazz National - Classic Titles	african jazz mali
68		1987	Salif Keita	Soro	african folk fusion mali	african # 17
29		1988	Various Artists	The Wassoulou Sound: Women of Mali	african mali
39		1990	Boubacar Traoré	Mariama	africa	africa # 80
90		1990	Ali Farka Touré	The River	mali
63		1991	Salif Keita	Amen	african mali
96		1991	Oumou Sangare	Moussolou	mali
46		1992	Boubacar Traoré	Kar Kar	africa african	african # 15 africa # 48
62		1992-06-15	Ali Farka Touré	The Source	world	world # 44
88		1992-06-15	Ali Farka Touré	Talking Timbuktu	africa world mali	world # 70 africa # 93
67		1993	Oumou Sangare	Ko Sira	mali african
71		1993	Nahawa Doumbia	Mangoni	mali
72		1993	Oumou Sangare	The Divas From Mali	mali world
27		1994	Mamadou Kanté	Les Tambours Du Mali	mali traditional
50		1994	Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder	Talking Timbuktu	blues fusion mali
44		1995	Super Rail Band	Kongo Sigui	african harp mali	harp # 59
48		1996-04-22	Ali Farka Touré	Radio Mali	blues
45		1997	Boubacar Traoré	Sa Golo	africa mali
18		1997	Various Artists	The Divas From Mali
74		1998	Idrissa Soumaoro	Köte	mali
97		1998-11-11	Rokia Traoré	Mouneïssa	mali africa	africa # 79
52		1999	Taj Mahal & Toumani Diabate	Kulanjan	blues mali
55		1999	Salif Keita	Papa	mali
65		1999-06-21	Ali Farka Touré	Niafunke	african world	world # 33 african # 81
83		1999-07-05	Afel Bocoum	Mali Music	mali african
84		1999-07-05	Afel Bocoum	Alkibar	mali
34		2000	Mamadou Diabaté	Tunga	mali
75		2000-03-10	Rokia Traoré	Wanita	africa african mali world	african # 31 africa # 53
47		2001-03-08	Djelimady Tounkara	Sigui	mali world
23		2002	Salif Keita	Golden Voice - The Very Best Of Salif Keita	african world	african # 46
42		2002	Salif Keita	Moffou	africa	world # 1 african # 28 africa # 97
33		2002	Ashitey Nsotse & Kassoum Traore	Bush Taxi From Bamako To Accra	africa african mali world
35		2002-03-26	Ballaké Sissoko	Kora Music From Mali	africa mali
89		2002-05-20	Issa Bagayogo	Timbuktu	mali world	world # 20 africa # 24
56		2002-07-09	Kandia Kouyate	Biriko	african mali
31		2003	Tinariwen	Amassakoul	africa	tishoumaren # 23 african # 38 algeria # 67 africa # 84
85		2003	Boubacar Traoré	The Best Of Boubacar Traoré	mali african world blues	roots # 9 african # 36
58		2003-01-28	Kasse Mady Diabate	Kassi Kasse	mali
86		2003-09-26	Rokia Traoré	Bowmboi	africa mali	africa # 87
87		2003-09-26	Rokia Traoré	Bowmboï	africa mali	africa # 88
49		2003-09-29	Oumou Sangare	Oumou	mali
57		2004	Ali Farka Touré	Red & Green	mali
99		2004-08-02	Amadou & Mariam	Dimanche à Bamako	african mali world	world # 89 african # 99
60		2004-08-03	Issa Bagayogo	Tassoumakan	world africa mali	africa # 25
13		2005	Boubacar Traoré	Kongo magni	africa	africa # 72
51		2005	Djelimady Tounkara	Solon Kôno	african mali	african # 9
94		2005	Salif Keita	M'Bemba	mali world africa	world # 52 africa # 71
9		2005	Les Escrocs	Mandinka Rap from Mali	mali
22		2005-06-20	Kokanko Sata	Kokanko Sata	mali
69		2005-06-27	Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté	In The Heart Of The Moon	africa	africa # 94
12		2006	Wayne Gerard Trotman	Red Moon	ambient bossa nova dance electronic electronica house idm japanese latin mali new age oriental progressive rock reggae rock russian salsa world fusion	oriental # 17
93		2006-03-27	Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra	Boulevard de l'Indépendance	africa african mali	african # 76 africa # 86
81		2006-07-17	Ali Farka Touré	Savane	african	africa # 1 world # 7 african # 97
21		2006-10-24	Tartit	Abacabok
26		2007	Vieux Farka Toure	Vieux Farka Toure	african	african # 69
76		2007	Habib Koité & Bamada	Africi	world mali	world # 8 africa # 20
79		2007	Habib Koité & Bamada	Afriki	world mali	world # 15 africa # 22
17		2007	Dee Dee Bridgewater	Red Earth - A Malian Journey	mali
95		2007	Toumani Diabate	The Mande Variations	mali
28		2007-02-05	Vieux Farka Touré	Vieux Farka Touré	african	african # 74
53		2007-02-12	Daby Touré	Stereo Spirit	mali
54		2007-06-11	Rail Band	Belle Epoque Vol. 1: Soundiata	africa african mali world	africa # 2
98		2008	Amadou & Mariam	Dimanche a Bamako	africa mali world	world # 79 africa # 98
61		2008-02-25	Toumani Diabaté	The Mandé Variations		africa # 60
92		2008-03-01	Rokia Traoré	Tchamantché	africa mali	africa # 90
100		2008-11-17	Amadou & Mariam	Welcome to Mali	mali	african # 70 africa # 81 duo # 98
16		2009	Various Artists	African Artists Hand In Hand	africa african mali
41		2009	Various Artists	The Rough Guide to Mali and Guinea	world
80		2009	Various Artists	In Griot Time - String Music from Mali	mali
78		2009-02-23	Oumou Sangare	Seya	mali
37		2010	Vieux Farka Touré	Live	mali
66		2010-02	Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté	Ali & Toumani	african mali	african # 12
20		2011	Le mystère jazz de Tombouctou	Le Mystère Jazz De Tombouctou	mali
36		2011-02-08	Mamadou Diabate	Courage	africa african mali world world fusion
70		2011-05-24	Vieux Farka Touré	The Secret	african mali	african # 22
2		2011-12	Sublime Frequencies	Bush Taxi Mali - Field Recordings From Mali	mali
43		2013	Mamani Keita	Yelema	african mali world
10		2013-02	Cheick Tidiane Seck	Guerrier	africa ethnic mali reggae
64		2014	Boubacar Traoré	Mbalimaou	mali
38		2014-03-10	Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté	Toumani & Sidiki	mali
3		2014-03-14	Habib Koité	Mali to Memphis	acoustic guitar guitarist male vocalists mali singer-songwriter	guitarist # 13
82		2014-03-14	Habib Koité	Ma Ya	mali
59		2015	Trio Da Kali	Ladilikan	mali
6		2017-11-17	Boubacar Traore	Dounia Tabolo	mali
91		2019	Tinariwen	Aman Iman	african blues folk mali takamba tishoumaren	african # 68 tishoumaren # 89 takamba # 97
24		2024-03-14	Ballaké Sissoko / Toumani Diabate	New Ancient Strings of Mali	mali
1			Sissokho Yakhouba	Mali: Kora & Balafon (Air Mail Music Collection)	duo instrumental mali
4			Adama Coulibaly	Baba	mali
5			Argile African Heat	Idjo	africa african flute mali world
7			Sissokho Yakhouba & Lansine Kouyate	Mali - kora & balafon	mali
8			Moussa Traore	Mali Foli: Dakan	africa african ethnic folk mali percussion traditional
11			Diaou Kouyate	Africa	mali pop
19			Mah Damba	The Divas From Mali	mali
25			Drisa Kone	The Art of Jenbe Drumming - The Mali Tradition Vol. 2	africa african mali
32			Argile & African Heat	Koko	mali
73			Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko	New Ancient Strings	mali
14			Jaraba Jakite	The Art of Jenbe Drumming - The Mali Tradition Vol. 1
15			Malian Musicians, Damon Albarn	Mali Music
30			Argile, feat. Sona Diabate	Live In Africa & Europe

Related genres

• african
• africa
• world
• blues
• traditional
• folk
• fusion
• pop
• house
• female vocalists