Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger

For over three decades, legendary musician Afel Bocoum stood alongside Mali's late great desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré as a guardian of Mali's Niger River musical soul. After Touré's mentorship, Bocoum launched a solo career with his 1999 debut Alkibar (The Messenger), earning international recognition and forging a creative partnership with Damon Albarn, with whom he collaborated on Mali Music (2002) and later projects.
Now, as one of the Sahel's most beloved artists and a de facto Malian ambassador for endangered instruments like the njurkel lute and njarka fiddle, he prepares a new album, Harber, with singles releasing from October 2025, accompanied by a rare 13-date UK tour as a trio in January 2026.
Afel Bocoum remains a bridge between worlds. He carries Mali's Niger River sound forward as a living force shaping tomorrow. The river remembers. In Bocoum's hands, it also dreams.

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