dusu mali band

"Dusu" means "gentle heart". Our roots run deep. We never give up. We will continue to work hard and feel the music to keep smiles upon us all. Dusu plays original music. Most songs are written by Ibrahim Kelly and developed as a group. Others are based upon traditional song and dance from various regions of Mali and West Africa. The music is a universal medium to be embraced and enjoyed across all cultures of the world. It is the glue that binds us all together, and it keeps us alive and healthy. In January of 2012, the band embarked on an epic life-changing voyage to Mali, West Africa. We spent the month of January traveling far across Malian earth to a number of spots including Sevare, Mopti, Dogon Country, and even to one of the most remote music festivals in the world, Le Festival au Desert, in Timbuktu, the region where Ibrahim was born. They carried guitars and drums and played music everywhere they could. They met a lot of people, saw a lot of amazing things, connected with friends, and were served a heaping dose of life's lessons. Now the band is back again and better than ever. The next wave of Dusu is crashing against the shoreline! (And bigger waves are forming out in the sea). Dusu Mali Band formed in 2010 and has since played at a number of music festivals and venues around the West Coast (Joshua Tree Music Festival, Breitenbush Hot Springs, Silver Moon Brewing, Elbo Room, Jambalaya, Alladin Theater, Mississippi Studios, Roseland Theater), and have been blessed to open up for successful Malian artists Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Toure, and Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba. Dusu has played alongside a wide range of acts including Orgone, Gaudi, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Midnite, Wunmi, and others. In the summer of 2012 the band was honored to perform at String Cheese Incident's end-of-tour blowout at Horning's Hideout. Dusu brings a natural love of song and dance and is dedicated to bringing their best every time. The band has met different forms of success in all of their endeavors, and are committed to the hard work it takes to keep things moving forward. Long term goals include an East Coast tour, North American festival circuit, Hawaii, Mali, Europe, Japan, Australia, and anywhere else that could benefit from the Dusu experience. In the meantime, you can find Dusu continually strengthening their foundation in Portland and rest of the Pacific Northwest. Stay tuned... In 2010, Tyler Smith met Ali Farka Toure's nephew, Ibrahim Kelly, at a drum circle underneath the Hawthorne bridge in Portland, Oregon...