The title – roughly translated as “Losing the Blues”, asuf being “longing” – suggests a quiet fireside session in northern Mali, an impression re-enforced by a couple of slow-burn acoustic openers and the presence of Lalla Badi, the veteran matriarch of tinde, a ceremonial genre sung only by women. However, the masters of desert blues quickly heat up on this performance from late 2014, drawing on numbers from all eras of their repertoire. There are singalong chants such as Azawad, dusty midtempo drones (Imidiwan Ahi Sigidam) and exuberant pieces such as Chaghaybou dominated by the stinging guitar pyrotechnics of leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib. Live albums often undersell their artist, but this proves an inviting, well-judged showcase.
