Tinariwen: Aman Iman

Thursday, 15 Feb 2007 14:08

Independiente, out now

In a nutshell¡K

Hypnotic. Exotic. Edgy. Emotional. Haunting.

What's it all about?

Aman Iman is the third album by Malian musicians Tinariwen. Meaning Water is Life, the album contains 12 tracks telling tales of the Touareg rebellion, life in exile and longing and love for their homeland. The lyrics are all in Tamashek, with translations and explanations printed in the accompanying booklet, alongside an intimate look into the band's history.

Who's it by

Musicians from Mali, Tinariwen started creating their magic in exile in Algeria. Aman Iman is preceded by The Radio Tisdas Sessions of 2000 and Amassakoul that was released in 2004. The band, whose name means "empty places" in Tamashek, have performed in various festivals all over the world, perhaps most notably in the UK at 2005's Live 8 show at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

As an example¡K

From Toumast (The People), a song written in 1994 as a call to unity and togetherness among the Touareg.

A divided people will never reach its goal/It will never cultivate an acacia tree with beautiful leaves.
A divided people will lose its way/Each part of it will become an enemy in itself.

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

With the album released a week before this year's Grammy winners were announced, Tinariwen didn't feature. It is likely that critics will rave over the Malian outfit, but whether a glitzy trip to the 50th Grammys is on the cards is perhaps too distant to predict.

What the others say

"If they were not nomads from Mali, Tinariwen might be called a garage band. They share with the White Stripes, the voguish virtues of a stripped-down guitar sound, lent extra weight by the plaintive quality of Saharan electric blues." - Rick Glanvill, Q

"This is sensational! The album of 2007." - Andy Kershaw, BBC Radio

So is it any good?

Aman Iman is an understated masterpiece. Tinariwen deliver 12 songs that evoke fantasies of sultry desert nights without any false romanticism. It explores the harsh history of the Touareg rebellion in the most melodic and enchanting way imaginable. Politics have never sounded this good.

Beautiful guitar sounds and simple clapping fuse with haunting voices to relay the stories of the 1963 uprising in Mali and fractions among Touareg clans, offset with poetic declarations of love and emotional lamentations of homesickness.

And despite the modern electric guitar sounds and Tinariwen's edgy sound and international appeal, their songs and approach to their music remain rooted in their desert origins.

These sons of the Sahara and their songs of freedom are more than just world music - they are world class.


8/10

Karen Moller