When Mali’s Habib Koité made his Eu debut in 1991, maximum African musicians recognized out of doors their homelands fronted giant bands that emphasised Western tools and drew closely from African American soul and funk. Koité modified the paradigm when he based Bamada, a virtuosic four-man backing crew with a steady acoustic taste that includes such conventional tools because the xylophone-like balafon. Koité himself performs guitar, however tuned so it appears like a n’goni, a West African lute with a chiming tone. Koité’s songs, with lyrics in Bambara, French and from time to time English, are constructed on rippling African polyrhythms, however such lilting tunes as “Baro” additionally characteristic vocal harmonies corresponding to California folks rock. That’s a style that comes as naturally to Koité and Bamada because the call-and-response chant of “Cigarette Abana,” the rollicking song that used to be their first African hit and stays a crowd-pleaser 3 a long time later. Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Vineyard, 1350 Okie St. NE. citywinery.com. $35-$55.
She began as a solo troubadour, accompanied by means of simply her acoustic guitar, but Ani DiFranco used to be by no means in reality a folkie. The stalwartly indie feminist singer-songwriter followed perspective from punk and phraseology from hip-hop, and step by step evolved a jazzy, soulful taste exemplified by means of her newest album, 2021’s “Innovative Love.” At 52, DiFranco isn’t the relentless highway warrior she was once, however her mellower taste isn’t an indication of retreat. Her latest subject matter is also strangely lush, however the pattering congas and swirling flutes don’t blunt the threshold of such songs as “Do or Die,” which incorporates a imaginative and prescient of seeing “proper there on Pennsylvania Street / the sheetless KKK.” The display will come with 3 acts signed to the singer’s Righteous Babe label: Gracie and Rachel, Jocelyn Mackenzie and Holly Miranda. Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. (doorways open) at 9:30 Membership, 815 V St. NW. 930.com. $41.
Right here’s one technique to stay your tackle indie rock from turning into formulaic: Get started a band with more than one singer-songwriters. On its 2nd album, the brand new “Desperately Imagining Somewhere Quiet,” Disq plays tunes composed by means of 4 of its 5 participants. If that weren’t sufficient to supply selection, the Wisconsin crew flips types inside person songs: Guitarist Logan Severson’s “Prize Contest Existence” is an easygoing midtempo rocker with high-tenor vocals that detours abruptly into raw-throated grungy aggression. Such shifts are feature of the album, which floats blithe melodies over three-guitar roar and from time to time throws synth noise or bassist Raina Bock’s soprano into the combo. The stylistic restlessness fits the band’s lyrics, which depict uneasy minds and a capricious universe. Most commonly, even though, the musical variations simply be sure that Disq by no means settles right into a rut. Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. dc9.membership. $13-$15.