Songhoy Blues, Courtesy. At one point a decade ago, the members of Malian rock band Songhoy Blues weren’t allowed to play shows. The ban had nothing to do with pandemic shelter-in-place orders and everything with an Islamist group that had taken over northern parts of the country and imposed sharia law,…

This isn’t the first time in this nation’s history we have discriminated against people based on their skin color or religion—just look at Native Americans, African Americans, Jews and Japanese Americans. Yet, in this era of knowledge available with a single click, many seem to be less tolerant than ever. As…

Bombino, courtesy. Guitarist Bombino went from herding goats for a nomadic tribe in Niger to performing African desert blues songs about his people to the world — even though guitars were outlawed symbols of rebellion in the eyes of Niger’s government. Bombino at Outside Lands 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug.…