Noura Mint Seymali

GlobalFest

8pm, Palm Door on Sixth

The top of the GlobalFest bill has a decidedly arid vibe. Headlining the evening is Omara “Bombino” Moctar, a desert-blues master from Niger in the tradition of Tinariwen and Ali Farka Toure. The Tuareg guitarist teases the swirling beauty of forthcoming release Azel, recorded in Woodstock, N.Y. Noura Mint Seymali isn’t quite as well known as Bombino, but her swirling, quasi-psychedelic take on blues is every bit as hypnotizing. Hailing from the West African nation of Mauritania, Seymali comes from a storied musical legacy: Her mother was a famous singer, and her father penned the country’s national anthem. She strums the harp-like ardine while her husband blazes electric guitar. Tucson desert-rock sextet Xixa began as a chicha cover band and fuse cumbia, indie rock, and blues into a bizarre brand of psych that fans of Chicano Batman, Echocentrics, and Spanish Gold will vibe with. Elsewhere Dubioza Kolektiv reps Bosnian reggae, Pakistan’s Imran Aziz Mian Qawwal recites Sufi mysticism, and Buenos Aires duo Lulacruza updates South American folk tunes.

This article appears in March 18 • 2016.

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Thomas Fawcett has been freelancing for The Austin Chronicle since 2007. He likes good music and does not fake the funk.