Merken magazine
Tinariwen: Desert Blues in Golden Sand
An insight into the Musical Warriors of Tuareg, combining the Desert Blues genre and Rock influences to further their voices and the voice of their people.
MUSICCULTURE
Ayoub Iken
8/8/20243 min read
With songs that blend the traditional Tuareg rhythms, soulful vocals, and rock & blues influences, Tinariwen produces a unique sound of “Desert Blues”, a genre that is often raw and politically charged, these themes can be heard and felt in their music alongside resistance, longing, the nomadic Tuareg lifestyle, and the beauty of the desert.
The band founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib born in 1960 in northern Mali formed the band in 1979. His musical journey is profoundly influenced by his witnessing of his father’s execution during a 1963 upraise. Ibrahim built his first guitar from a tin can, a stick, and bicycle brake wires, but with his will, his songwriting, and peculiar guitar playing, he was able to make songs that are now considered anthems for the Tuareg struggle.
Tinariwen’s formation coincided with many rebellions in their regions, as the Tuareg people have experienced economic and political marginalization by post-colonial governments in countries like Mali, Niger, and Algeria. The band's early songs were often composed in refugee camps as many members of Tinariwen, including the founder, spent time in Libyan and Algerian refugee camps. Through their music, Tinariwen is a vital voice for the Tuareg, advocating for their rights and preserving their rich cultural heritage and identity.
The band won a Grammy Award for Best World Music in 2012 for their album "Tassili ", this Grammy win is a significant milestone in their career, bringing them international recognition and affirming their place in the world. After “ Tassili ” which was recorded using a mobile studio in a remote area in Algerian desert, the band released 4 albums
“ Elwan ” (2017) meaning "The Elephants". The album was also recorded in Joshua Tree and M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco
“ Amadjar ” (2019) means "The Foreign Traveler" in Tamasheq, and it was recorded during a journey from Mauritania through Moroccan Sahara. The band was intended to return to their home in northern Mali, however due to violence and threats the group took this long journey while recording.
Tinariwen’s latest album “ Amatsou ” meaning "Beyond the fear" released in 2023 also recorded in Mauritania and Tassili N'Ajjer National Park, Algeria using a mobile studio.
Working from a makeshift rehearsal studio, they wrote and recorded songs, free for anyone who turned up at their door with a blank cassette tape. Through the exchange of cassettes – often dubbed copies, or copies of copies – Tinariwen’s songs of hope, struggle and exile spread through settlements and camps across the Sahara.
Tinariwen via their website
"These worries are my friends/ I'm always on familiar terms with them and that/ Gives birth to the stories of my life"
Amatssou N'Ténéré ("The traveller in the desert")
“Emmar ” (2014) which translates to "The Heat on the Breeze " and was recorded in Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA.
These masterpieces came to inspire through the music artistry because Tinariwen are more than a unique sound, they are a voice for the sufferance many people still face today, storytellers of exile, resistance, and political hardships; moreover, they are spiritual guides on a journey for freedom.
