Tinariwen is a band of Touareg people from the southern Sahara of Mali and Algeria who appropriated electric guitars—and the spirit of rock ’n’ roll rebellion—to call attention to the plight of their people. The thought was that if they could sing their song loud enough so that it could be heard in London, the whole world might also listen. Forging a sound that is simple, raw and effective as any spirited DIY garage band—combining various percussive elements, electric guitars and voice—they’ve succeeded. It’s a kind of desert trance blues: lean, mean and passionate. Their call-and-response plaintive vocalizations swirl around, under and through electric guitar riffs that weave echoes of American blues artists such as John Lee Hooker together with Malian folk tunes.
Amassakou
