Toubab Krewe may hail from Asheville, but its world-flavored funky rock sizzles with authentic West African influence. Members of the group developed their unique sound through numerous trips to Mali and Guinea, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied with acclaimed artists of the region. The efforts have paid off.

The band’s self-titled debut disc is filled with full-flavored percussion from a world beyond, mingling with jazz-influenced guitar runs and driving bass lines. Impressively most of the songs on the disc are new arrangements of West African traditionals. With the melodic true colors of Malian instruments like the kora, the group stands out from the usual homogenized jam band garble.

In “Djarbi” the string work interplay of Drew Heller’s guitar and Justin Perkins’ kamelengoni swirls with the elegant grace of a ceremonial dance. “Devil Woman” hits hard with industrial-fueled grit and driving drum work from percussionist Luke Quaranta before concluding with a Zeppelin-hued rock break.

The band just returned from its first tour of West Africa, ripe with even more flavor in its brimming arsenal. Catch them at the Handlebar in Greenville, S.C., on March 2.