TINARIWEN
Aman Iman: Water Is Life (World Village)

Championed by Robert Plant and Carlos Santana, this ragged, shaggy band of Tuareg nomads have found their distinctive strain of Saharan blues-rock toasted the world over with their debut disc. This sophomore effort from Mali’s Tinariwen fine-tunes their formidable blend of hypnotic electric guitar picking, ramshackle rhythms, call-and-response chanting and occasional ululating. Enjoy it as a fascinating offshoot from the roots of the blues, as a heartfelt exposition of the political struggles of the Tuareg people, or simply as trance-inducing mystery music par excellence.  8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)