Toubab Krewe Mariama

This unique quintet hails out of the rolling hills of Asheville, NC with a sound that might as well be coming from several thousand miles around the world. Although all five members grew up in and began their music careers on the appalachian trail, most of them spent considerable time learning music on Africa's west coast. Think Mississippi Delta meets Mali; Santana meets Amadou andMariam.

In Toubab Krewe's self-titled album, every song is an instrumental story rich in dialogue and emotion. Toubab does an exceptional job of mixing up rythms and chords as each song progresses. Perhaps the richest track on Toubab's debut (2007) album is its last.  It is this song where you might get the best sense of the band's repertoire of flavors and rhythms. Check it out for yourself!

"By not confining itself to one genre, Toubab Krewe has the potential to bring its worldly and unpredictable music to a mainstream audience." - banning eyre, NPR

"Asheville, N.C., may not seem like a stronghold for African-rooted music, but Toubab Krewe has soaked up the patterns and rhythms of music from Mali, Zimbabwe, Congo, Brazil and the Caribbean and added a hint of Jerry Garcia's legato guitar." - John parales, NYtimes