REVIEW: Songhoy Blues at Sheffield University

A Tuareg rebellion in the northern region of the country paved the way for a takeover by jihadist extremists, who imposed a ban on music.

French troops intervened on the side of the military government and the country remains in crisis.

The four fled to the capital city of Bamako and formed Songhoy Blues.

After being picked up by Damon Albarn's Africa Express they have shot to stardom in the UK and beyond.

They are among the courageous musicians in Mali whose story is told in the stunning film They Will Have To Shoot Us First, which starts the evening's double-bill.

Veteran women performers Khaira Arby and Disco are the stars of the fight for freedom.

Director Johanna Schwartz’s film follows them as they were among the hundreds of thousands forced into exile.

It’s a joyous return for  Khaira and Disco to their Timbuktu home to offer hope to those who endured life under the Islamist's oppressive Sharia law.

Music is the message of hope and its universal appeal can cross borders.

In the second-half Andy Morgan, co-writer of the film, is in conversation - in French with English translation - with band members Aliou Toure, Oumar Toure, Garba Toure and Nathanael Dembele.

The talk is interspersed with songs and the meaning of the words translated and explained.

The band have a deep attachment to the home-grown songs and dances, which blend the traditional and modern styles.

The Songhoy are one of the many ethnic groups in Mali, hailing from the banks of the Niger River between the ancient cities of Timbuktu and Gao,

In Mali music is everything.

And musicians play a lot of important roles, telling the people what is happening in society, in politics and the outside world.  

Despite the constant sense of excitement and jubilation, their songs are serious and poignant.

They love their homeland despite the violence they've experienced and it's that unflinching faith in their roots that has allowed them to act as ambassadors for their country far beyond its troubled borders.

But tonight it is a case of dancing in the seat as the band's terrific guitar hooks draw everyone in.