Pitchfork

Photo by Youri Lenquette

Welcome to Mali, please enjoy your time in the States. Malian husband-and-wife duo Amadou & Mariam's Welcome to Mali, their follow-up to 2005's breakthrough Dimanche à Bamako, is set for release in the U.S. March 24 from Because Music/Nonesuch Records.

The disc, already out in Europe and well-liked by we Pitchforkers, features a little assistance from kora master Toumani Diabaté, K'naan, Juan Rozoff, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Keziah Jones, and Mathieu "-M-" Chedid. Leadoff track "Sabali" was produced by Blur/Gorillaz guy Damon Albarn, with the rest of the production duties handled by Marc-Antoine Moreau and Lauren Jais.

Amadou & Mariam will head to Europe for quite a few dates early on next year, and we're told a proper U.S. tour is in the works for the spring. Welcomes all around!

Welcome to Mali:

01 Sabali
02 Ce n'Est Pas Bon
03 Magossa
04 Djama
05 Djuru
06 Je te Kiffe
07 Masiteladi
08 Africa
09 Compagnon de la Vie
10 Unissons Nous
11 Bozos
12 I Follow You (Nia Na Fin)
13 Welcome to Mali
14 Batoma
15 Sebeke
16 Bimogo

Amadou & Mariam:

01-21 Reims, France - La Cartonnerie
01-22 Villefranche-sur-Saône, France - Le Theatre
01-24 Annemasse, France - Chateau Rouge
01-28 Caen, France - Le Cargo
01-29 Dinan, France - Le Theatre
01-30 Quéven, France - Les Arcs
01-31 Alençon, France - La Luciole
02-04 Nantes, France - L'Olympic
02-05 Rennes, France - La Cite
02-06 Bordeaux, France - Le Krakatoa
02-11 Paris, France - La Cigale
02-18 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
02-21 Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
02-25 London, England - KOKO
03-19 Montpellier, France -  Rokstore
03-20 Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
03-21 Lyon, France - Transbordeur
03-26 Lille, France - Aeronef