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"The mix of sounds, instruments, and influences spanning the program is mind-boggling"
—LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE

"In his most varied and satisfying album to date, James delivers 15 songs that range from brooding minimalism to rollicking fusions of African and American sensibilities. ...an artist who has done as much as anyone to kick open the doors too long separating American and West African roots music."
—AFROPOP WORLDWIDE

"Africa and Mississippi come together..."
—BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE

"This is an extremely powerful album"
—Ben Manilla, Executive Producer, House of Blues Radio Hour

"Snakey"
—Elwood Blues


Markus James' Snakeskin Violin featured on:
House of Blues Radio Hour
Afropop Worldwide
Blues Deluxe
XM Cafe

Preview and download tracks, order the CD

Or download the album on iTunes





Markus James has been recording and performing original, Blues-based music with traditional Malian musicians since 1994, when he first made his way to the village of Niafounke, home of the legendary Sonrai musician Ali Farka Toure. Markus' critically acclaimed Mali-based albums have been warmly received in the US, Europe and Mali, and he was honored to have a track included in the UK compilation "Sahara- Blues of the Desert", alongside such great artists as Ali Farka Toure, Baaba Maal, Yousou N'Dour and Tinariwen. Markus' long-term collaborations in Timbuktu with 3 Malian master musicians is the subject of the award-winning documentary film "Timbuktoubab", seen on many PBS stations throughout the US.

Markus has performed at the Festival In The Desert 3 times, and in 2007, was invited to perform at the series of Jamal Poi tribute concerts for his friend and inspiration, Ali Farka Toure, in Bamako and Niafounke, which were broadcast on Malian national television.

The UK's fROOTS Magazine called Markus "the unofficial dean of this movement" of up and coming US roots musicians whose focus is the African source.

Markus' new album "Snakeskin Violin" is a kaleodiscopic journey in which fellow travelers appear and vanish, and features collaborations with trance groove Wassoulou hunters in Bamako, a shaman in Timbuktu, old-school drummers in Como, Mississippi, traveling Tamasheks in California, and African Diaspora musicians in the US.


In the US, Markus James tours with The Wassonrai, featuring West African artists based in the US, including multi-instrumentalist Mamadou Sidibe , percussionist Karamba Dioubate, and Amadou Camara. They have performed in numerous settings, including PRI / BBC's "The World", at festivals, performing arts centers, theatres, and in clubs.

""
—Roots Music Report

"Excellent... "
—Global Rhythm Magazine

"Eerily atmospheric... "
—Downbeat Magazine

profile managed by Firenze Records

Markus James's Albums

Snakeskin Violin "The mix of sounds, instruments, and influences spanning the program is mind-boggling" —LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE Calabash blues "a sublime evocation of a landscape stretching from the muddy Delta to sun-baked Sahara sand" DOWNBEAT Timbuktoubab "..haunting music that conjures the very soul of the Sahara... James evokes the spirit of the blues in these tracks, connecting with a vibe that's as ancient as Timbuktu itself. Every song is a piece of magic that will work its own spell." BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Nightbird "A vital mix of the Mississippi Delta and Mali, a cultural exchange of haunting beauty and mystery." -BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE Timbuktoubab DVD "'Timbuktoubab' is that rare film in which a Westerner ventures into another culture and actually illuminates it... Beautifully filmed, richly narrated, and genuinely moving" -Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide