Tinariwen are Tuareg nomads-turned-rock-performers and are said to 'be the first band of their kind to use electric guitars.  Formed in 1982, their music is typically sung in French and Tamashek languages and is mostly about independence for their people from the government of Mali.  Tinariwen's edgy, bluesy sound has earned them fans like Robert Plant and Carlos Santana, whose music inspired Tinariwen’s members when they first picked up guitars.