AllMovie

A film that celebrates the power of music from the birthplace of blues, Mali Blues follows four musicians who are leading figures in the Malian Global Pop scene - singer Fatoumata Diawara; ngoni player Bassekou Kouyaté; guitar master Ahmed Ag Kaedi; and street rapper Master Soumy - as they strive to use their music to inspire a nation under attack from radical Islamists. The stories shared by director Lutz Gregor reflect both challenge and triumph, as the rising stars struggle to uphold tradition while also finding their own artistic voice in a politically embattled nation.