Tinariwen is a group from Mali, a collection of Tuareg nomads from Western Sahara. The band plays stripped-down desert rock with basic yet tasty guitar licks, and male and female vocalists singing of war, ancestors and wandering.

The band made a splash at the venerable Festival in the Desert concert in January 2003. Scores of Africans, Europeans and Americans gathered in Essakane, Mali, for the three-day event.

Tinariwen has two albums released by World Village: "Radio Tisdas Sessions" in 2002 and "Amassakoul" in October.

The group will perform at the Claremont Colleges on Saturday and the Cerritos Center on Sunday. Joining them will be fellow Malians Markus James and Ramatou Diakite for a mini-festival revival. Ben Harper is also expected to make a guest appearance.