Andrea Crossan reporting at PRI:
More here
...a couple of minutes later, we pulled over and two women climbed in the van. They too had accidentally selected the car pool option so they were just as shocked to see me sitting in their cab.
We made polite conversation and told the stories of why we were in Austin.
I was there to produce a special broadcast about youth activism during the South By Southwest Interactive Festival.
They told me that they were there in town for the premiere of a film that their film company had produced called "They Will Have To Kill Us First”.
My new car pool pals told me that the film featured an amazing band called Songhoy Blues and that the film told the story of how the band had formed after Islamic extremists took over northern Mali and banned music.
They told me the four 20-something band members were flying into Austin for the premiere of the film and to play some gigs opening for Alabama Shakes.
I took their business cards as I hopped out of our car share. Later that day, I downloaded a song by the band called "Soubour".
I was blown away.
