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Global Hit (click go there for full audio)
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The World (Public Radio International), Global Hit (click go there for full audio) >>
The Tuareg are nomads who live in northern and western Africa. They're mostly a desert people spread across many countries.
Today we meet one group of Tuareg musicians from northern Mali. The group is called Tinariwen.
Their music is tinged with the bluesy sounds of electric guitars paired with the ancient sounds of traditional Tuareg songs. Over the years, Tinariwen has also incorporated rock and North African pop music. They've even turned to rap, which could come handy right now, on their first-ever US tour.
Tuareg history is rife with conflict. That's especially true in Mali. Land disputes and conflicts with the Malian government led to a Tuareg rebellion in the early 1990s. Then came an agreement with the government granting the Tuareg limited autonomy.
But the Tuareg are facing another on-going challenge. Andy Morgan is one of Tinariwen's managers.
He told The World's Marco Werman that the lifestyle of the Tuareg, or Tamaschek people is changing irrevocably. Morgan says the Tamaschek's lifestyle has been severely disrupted over the last 30 or 40 years mainly because of climactic changes and droughts. Men had to leave their tribes and go to surrounding countries to find paids jobs, which was a major change in this culture.
Morgan says the music of Tinariwen is like blues. It contains heartfelt poetry and at the same time, a great celebratory quality. 10/27/04 >> go there
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