Afropop Worldwide

This summer, Malian rootsy hip-hop crew SMOD embarks on their first U.S. tour tomorrow. The group may be most known for featuring the son of Amadou & Mariam. However, SMOD is a musical force to be reckon with on their own. Their stateside debut seamlessly fused hip-hop, folk and blues music with traditional Malian styles from a politically-conscious perspective and addresses inequalities across African history. While they may be new to U.S. listeners, the group has actually released three albums in Europe over the past 10 years, so it's a long overdue treat to have them perform live here in the states. Dates: July 19 / Montréal / Nuits Africaines July 20 / Boston / Brighton Music Hall July 21 / Trumensburg / Grassroots Festival July 22 / NY / Central Park Summerstage July 25 / Pittsburgh / Shadow Lounge July 27 / Columbus / Wexner Center July 28 / Chicago / Clark Street Festival July 30 / Chicago / Jay Pritzker Pavillion July 31 / Minneapolis / the Cedar August 3 / Los Angeles / Levitt Pavilion August 4 / Santa Monica / The Central August 5 / San Francisco / Stern Groove August 6 / Santa Cruz / Moe's Alley August 10 / Gaspé CA / Festival du Bout du Monde http://youtu.be/OKlRookSD8I