Papa Mali is a New Orleans singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer whose multi-faceted career has explored many areas of American and World Music. He was recently voted Best Roots Rock Artist by Offbeat Magazine’s readers, who also named his latest release, Music Is Love, as Roots Rock Album of the Year. Music Is Love was produced by veteran record producer John Chelew, a three- time Grammy winner for his work with The Blind Boys Of Alabama.

Papa Mali’s original songs have been featured in several popular television series, including American Horror Story (FX) Banshee (Cinemax), Colony (USA Network) and No Activity (CBS All Access).

He is a Founding member , lead singer, guitarist and producer of 7 Walkers, a band formed in 2008 with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Meters bassist George Porter, Jr, and Matt Hubbard. Their self-titled 2010 release debuted at #1 on the relix/jamband charts, holding that position for the following three months. The single from that album “King Cotton Blues” features a Papa Mali Vocal duet with Willie Nelson and is one of nine original compositions co-written for the album by Mali and longtime Grateful Dead lyricist, the late Robert Hunter.

He is also a founding member, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of supergroup The M&M’s which also features Keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Stanton Moore and bassist Robert Mercurio (Both, of Galactic).

A Louisiana native who has traveled the Globe, he returned home for good in 2011. To quote: “I’ve toured all over the world, lived in other cities, other countries, but New Orleans is the only place that has ever felt like home.”