Tinariwen – Amassakoul

(World Village):

             In the Tamashek language of the southern Sahara, “Tinariwen” means “deserts’ or “empty places.”  This seven-piece band of nomads beautifully conveys the solitude of life among the African sand dunes by fusing traditional Tuareg music with electric guitar.  The result is a thrilling form of blues in which primal call-and-response vocals are shadowed by liquid guitar solos that shimmer like the heat of a distinct mirage.  Utterly unique and wholly accessible.  By Stephen Humphries