I had never heard any of Khaira Arby’s music coming into SXSW, but I read a review of her show in Portland and was intrigued. So I was excited to see her name on the bill for NPR’s daytime showcase at the Parish, sandwiched between tUnE-yArDs and The Joy Formidable. It was a bit of a weird slot for Arby and her Malian band, following American freak pop and preceding Welsh rock and roll. Then again, any slot probably would have seemed a bit odd; a 51-year-old singer belting out soulful grooves in French, Arabic, and Malian dialects isn’t exactly what you think of when you imagine SXSW.
Still, Arby put on a performance that was perfect for the NPR crowd. She has a phenomenal voice, and her band effortlessly played the sort of Malian melodies made familiar by Ali Farka Touré and, later, his son Vieux. There’s something pure and refreshing about a guitarist who slays an Afropop lick being actually, you know, from Africa. Khaira Arby may be just playing her first large slate of shows in the United States, but flecks of her music have been here for years. Seeing her play it live on stage felt crisp and clear, like drinking from the source.
