Markus James: World Blues, Nightbird, Timbuktoubab, FirenzeRecords, calabash, Ali Farka Toure, Marcus James, Mali, mali music, african music, afropop, Mali Blues, Hamma Sankare, Hassi Sare, Solo Sidibe, Manadou Sidibe, njarka, kamelengoni, songhai, wassoulou, festival of the desert, tumbuktu,Massamba Diop, Baaba Maal, festival in the dessert, essakane, where you wanna be

myspace.com/markusjames • youtube.com/markusjames

Markus James and The Wassonrai Live:

NOV 6-9 ALI FARKA TOURE FESTIVAL NIAFOUNKE, MALI

recorded in Mali and Mississippi

"In his most varied and satisfying album to date, James delivers 15 songs that range from brooding minimalism to rollicking fusions of African and American sensibilities.
...an artist who has done as much as anyone to kick open the doors too long separating American and West African roots music."
—AFROPOP WORLDWIDE

"profound world blues passage... extremely distinctive pieces, driven by a seductive rhythmic circularity that's a keystone of Malian traditional tunes and Delta blues."
—BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

"The mix of sounds, instruments, and influences spanning the program is mind-boggling"
—LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE

"Africa and Mississippi come together..."
—BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE

"This is an extremely powerful album"
—Ben Manilla, Executive Producer, House of Blues Radio Hour

"Snakey"
—Elwood Blues

Markus James’ Snakeskin Violin featured on:
House of Blues Radio Hour
Afropop Worldwide
Blues Deluxe
XM Cafe

Preview and download tracks or order the CD

High Quality MP3s Available for Instant Download
All songs are in 320kbs MP3 format

Calabash Blues:

Afropop Worldwide's "highly recommended" 2006

"a sublime evocation of a landscape stretching from the muddy Delta to sun-baked Sahara sand" -DOWNBEAT

"An unbroken circle of centuries of history" -ROCK & RAP CONFIDENTIAL

To sample tracks click here

Timbuktoubab:

"..haunting music that conjures the very soul of the Sahara... James evokes the spirit of the blues in these tracks, connecting with a vibe that's as ancient as Timbuktu itself. Every song is a piece of magic that will work its own spell."
-BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

To sample tracks click here

Nightbird:

Reviews:
"Nightbird is one of the deepest listening experiences that will hit the U.S. market this year."
---BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

"Eerily atmospheric" (FOUR STARS)
---DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

"A vital mix of the Mississippi Delta and Mali, a cultural exchange of haunting beauty and mystery."
---BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE

"One of the most inspired and arresting world music/blues albums"
---DIRTY LINEN MAGAZINE

"A hypnotic journey through time that goes all the way to the heart of the blues."
---WIRED MAGAZINE

"The word soulful certainly describes this excellent CD, which blues, rock, and Afro-pop enthusiasts should all be aware of." (4 & 1/2 stars)
---ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"Spare, moody, and beautiful, it builds a bridge between continents, and takes the blues home."
---fROOTS MAGAZINE (UK

To sample tracks click here

Download tracks: http://markusjames.calabashmusic.com

To receive updates about upcoming shows & releases, click here

To order the DVD of the award-winning film "Timbuktoubab", click here.

"'Timbuktoubab' is that rare film in which a Westerner ventures into another culture and actually illuminates it... Beautifully filmed, richly narrated, and genuinely moving"
- Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide, author of “In Griot Time”

CINE Golden Eagle Award

"Excellent...4 stars"
- Global Rhythm Magazine

“few cross-cultural musical collaborations have been as pleasing and fruitful as Markus James's Timbuktoubab project....their music is a language whose grammar has been developing for centuries along the sandy banks of the Niger River and in the delta of the Mississippi River.”
-Marco Werman, PRI/BBC's The World

"TImbuktoubab: Making videos and Music in Northern Mali"
New music, sound samples and photos: Click here for a feature story from Afropop Worldwide.

"TImbuktoubab: Making videos and Music in Northern Mali"