Here’s more proof of the strength and popularity of African desert-blues guitarists. Mali’s Vieux Farka Touré has been blessed/burdened with the nickname “Hendrix of the Sahara,” and he lives up to the hype with fluid, spidery riffs that hypnotize and enchant in equal measure. His songs chime, ramble, and emote in an easygoing manner while still communicating the time-immemorial melancholy of the blues. It's that old uplift-through-downtrodden-ness trope into which many of history's best musicians tap. Originally supported in the US by Seattle label Sublime Frequencies, Niger’s Bombino (aka Omara Moctar) plays with a more caustic, rawer approach, both texturally and rhythmically. His piquant, glinting guitar tones and serpentine riffs make for a fresh jam-band gestalt that’s packed with virtuosity and the sort of soulfulness that comes from oppressed people—in this case, Tuareg musicians. by Dave Segal