Been waiting for some time for this!
Balani is a little know style of Coupe Décaler out of Mali – To my ears it has a slightly more tribal and repetitive flow than the Ivorian style and often has the Balafon xylophone banging away under thundering drum machines. Like many other African dance music genres, it’s home is at outdoor neighbourhood street parties – in Mali called Balani shows. After a few unsuccessful internet hunts, I’ve only ever come across bits and pieces, so was excited to hear that the Masala dudes had a release planned. And it dropped today!

This excellent compilation features a selection of Balani artists and album profits go to Projet Danbe set up to support the travelling DJs in the scene.

The record is out now available on digital. Head over to Masalacism to purchase.