Afel Bocoum is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from the town of Niafunké in northern Mali, an area known for its "desert blues". Bocoum's music represents the most delicate, virtuosically sophisticated branch of this genre. From the age of 13, he was in Ali Farka Touré's band and is considered his most talented successor. Over the course of three decades, he contributed profusely to the music with which Touré won two Grammy Awards during his lifetime. In 2002, Bocoum collaborated with rock icon and African music connoisseur Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur, and they performed together in London and Denmark.

His debut album Alkibar (1999) brought him international acclaim, leading him to collaborate with Damon Albarn and Toumani Diabaté on the 2002 Mali Music album, and he has regularly contributed to the renowned Africa Express projects, collaborating with Béla Fleck, Habib Koité, Tartit Ensemble and Bassek Kouyaté, among others. His latest album Lindé (2020) is a remarkable blend of deep tradition and daring innovation. The album features guest appearances by notable musicians such as Tony Allen, Vin Gordon and Madou Diabaté, and was produced by Damon Albarn (Blur) with Nick Gold (World Circuit). Albarn says of it, “Afel’s voice is one of Mali’s treasures and this record is a gift to us all.”