Mauritanian Blues; Noura Mint Seymali at Calvary Center in Philadelphia May 3rd

“The seemingly effortless way [Noura Mint Seymali's] Tzenni straddles new and traditional music makes it one of the finest African albums this year.”  
- BBC

“The arrival of Mauritanian vocalist Noura Mint Seymali in front of Western audiences feels like the start of a new era.”
- NPR

“Noura Mint Seymali has put out arguably the best psych blues album of 2014.”
- VICE / Noisey

Returning to North America in support of the critically acclaimed album, TZENNI, Noura Mint Seymali is Mauritania leading artist and musical ambassador.  With a contemporary, full-throttle take on Moorish griot music, the band's widely acclaimed live performances have quickly captivated audiences, exposing a vital, seldom encountered space in the African musical topography.  Touring with an agile, rock-like formation, Noura's undeniable vocal power is set aflight by the exploratory sound of her husband Jeiche Ould Chighaly's mesmerizing psych guitar lines and grounded by a declarative, funk driven rhythm section of Ousmane Touré (bass) & Matthew Tinari (drums).  As iggawen (or griot), a hereditary musical caste in Mauritania, Noura Mint Seymali successfully recasts the frenzy and excitement of traditional weddings and ceremonies onto the concert stage.  After the album Tzenni charted at #1 on World Music Charts Europe and made NPR's 50 best albums of 2014, this summer sees the band billed on some of Europe's most prestigious festival line-ups alongside mainstream talents like Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Paul McCartney.  Their Springtime visit to North America is not to be missed!