African traditional pop doesn’t get any funkier or more searing than this nine-piece juggernaut out of Niger. The group play a fusion of national ethnic music, mostly Songhai, Fulani, and Hausa. Many songs sound like a more muscular take on the work of Ali Farka Touré in neighboring Mali — dark, passionate, and full of echoes of American black roots music. From the flute-driven opener, "Foulbe Gari" ("The Arrival of the Peuls"), to the jamming closer, "Alzouma," with its pop hook, the drama rarely lets up. There’s toughness in the tangle of fierce, fast lute melodies and wailing, overblown Fulani flute and squealing traditional fiddle on "Maïga et Touré," but there’s also a joyful warmth in these rolling rhythms. Yacouba Maomouni’s dry, bluesy lead vocal is usually offset by strong, edgy female backing, and the band kick hard throughout, using light sounds to create heavy grooves.

(Mamar Kassey perform next Sunday, October 6, at 3 p.m. at Berklee Performance Center. Call 617-747-2261.)