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SMOD: globalFEST 2012

SMOD performs during globalFEST at New York City's Webster Hall on Jan. 8.
Ryan Muir for NPR
SMOD performs during globalFEST at New York City's Webster Hall on Jan. 8.

Here comes another generation of masterful West African grooves: the Malian group SMOD, making its U.S. debut. If there's a familiar, lilting guitar-and-song groove underpinning the band's layers of hip-hop rhymes, don't be surprised; one of the members, Sam, is the son of the phenomenal duo Amadou and Mariam.

SMOD has benefited from that sphere of music's influence; the visionary Manu Chao, who produced Sam's parents' excellent album Dimanche à Bamako, also produced SMOD's debut. With tightly wound vocal harmonies and effervescent guitar played by Sam, the singing was even more effective than the rapping.

Set List

  • "Fitri Waleya"
  • "Dakan"
  • "Ca Chante"
  • "Dirigeants Africains"
  • "Jennes Filles Du Maliba"
  • "J'ai Pas Peur Du Micro"
  • "Ambola"
  • "Politic Adani"
  • "Dja"
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    Anastasia Tsioulcas is a reporter on NPR's Arts desk. She is intensely interested in the arts at the intersection of culture, politics, economics and identity, and primarily reports on music. Recently, she has extensively covered gender issues and #MeToo in the music industry, including backstage tumult and alleged secret deals in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against megastar singer Plácido Domingo; gender inequity issues at the Grammy Awards and the myriad accusations of sexual misconduct against singer R. Kelly.