# Event Details - **Event Name**: Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 09:00 pm - **Event Description**: The World's Music at Oxford welcomes the new year with a giant of Songhai desert blues from Timbuktu, MaliAbout this EventLegendary Songhai guitarist Afel Bocoum hails from the town of Niafunké in the Timbuktu region of Mali, where the Niger River meets the Sahara. An apprentice and colleague to the late, great desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré for over thirty years, Afel has taken on the mantel as the guardian of Ali’s purest musical soul. It’s a music deeply rooted in Songhai traditions, translated from the molo lute to the guitar while building in influences from the music of the Tuareg from the north and the Fulbe from the east and west, as well as the long shadow of bluesman John Lee Hooker.After becoming a member of Ali’s band ASCO at the age of just 13 in 1968 – a membership he’d keep until Ali’s death in 2006 – he created his own band Alkibar in the 1980s and forged ahead with his solo career, spanning five successful albums and making long-term creative partnerships with Damon Albarn, Africa Express and Béla Fleck. Now, as one of the Sahel’s most beloved artists and a champion for endangered instruments like the njurkel lute and njarka fiddle, he prepares a new album, Harber, coming soon.He joins the World’s Music at Oxford as part of a rare 13-date UK tour with a new trio. Accompanied by his own apprentice and rising star Ali Bounaly Traoré on guitar and renowned percussionist Mahalmadane Bountel Traoré on calabash, Afel strips his music down to its core – voice, strings, rhythm, the flow and memory of the Niger, the Sahara wind, and the musicians' shared Songhai heritage.The World’s Music at Oxford are proud to present Afel Bocoum alongside tour promoters Mwldan and i4Africa.https://youtu.be/N5BAElOfInU?feature=shared - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/oxford/afel-bocoum-the-return-of-the-messenger/100001972530928105 - **Event Categories**: music, entertainment, live-music, art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Oxford - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: The Auditorium - **lat**: 51.7560544 - **long**: -1.2589484000000084 - **full address**: The Auditorium, St John's College, Oxford, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/aaa6827f71518ce70f136d6aa925ae48ff546815ef8b4d0b5b91b8d687b10023-rimg-w1200-h800-dc5f4731-gmir.jpg?v=1766927242 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger being held? - **A:** Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger takes place on Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 09:00 pm at The Auditorium, St John's College, Oxford, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger? - **A:** Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger is organized by The World's Music at Oxford. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Oxford, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Afel Bocoum: The Return of the Messenger", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/aaa6827f71518ce70f136d6aa925ae48ff546815ef8b4d0b5b91b8d687b10023-rimg-w1200-h800-dc5f4731-gmir.jpg?v=1766927242", "startDate": "2026-01-22", "endDate": "2026-01-22", "url": "https://allevents.in/oxford/afel-bocoum-the-return-of-the-messenger/100001972530928105", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "The Auditorium", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "St John's College", "postalCode": "OX1 3JP", "addressLocality": "Oxford", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "51.7560544", "longitude": "-1.2589484000000084" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "The World's Music at Oxford welcomes the new year with a giant of Songhai desert blues from Timbuktu, Mali", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-11", "availabilityEnds": "2026-01-22", "validFrom": "2026-04-11", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/oxford/afel-bocoum-the-return-of-the-messenger/100001972530928105" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-11", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-11", "url": "https://allevents.in/oxford/afel-bocoum-the-return-of-the-messenger/100001972530928105", "price": 0, "name": "General Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Worlds Music at Oxford", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/the-worlds-music-at-oxford/18555927", "description": " \r\nThe World’s Music at Oxford is a project run at the University of Oxford, which  blends research into global musics with live performance. Our concerts are open to all students of the University and members of the general public.\r\nThe project, created in 2016, is run by postgraduate students researching a wide range of global musics. It aims to provide a platform for voices and musical styles rarely heard in Oxford and to build new links between the University and the general public.\r\nOur events showcase renowned performers from the UK and abroad. During the performances, the musicians also explain the characteristics and contexts of the works they perform.\r\n \r\nThe World’s Music at Oxford is generously supported by St John’s College, the AHRC-TORCH Graduate Fund, the St John’s College MCR, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Oxford University Music Faculty.\r\n " } ] } ] ```