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CD Review
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San Francisco Bay Times, CD Review >>
Rebels, nomads, heroes of dust, time and spinners of wind is the legend of Tinariwen - created from tragic events and unforgiving lands of the Sahara - the human spirit overflows from every note. Tinariwen (Tamashek for “empty places”) formed in the early 1980s in Moammar al-Qadhafi’s camps of Tuareg rebels, they sing mostly in French and Tamashek languages about independence for their people from the government of Mali becoming DIY rock ‘n roll heroes. The Tuareg today are found mostly in West Africa, but, like many in Northern Africa, were once nomads throughout the Sahara region. The band gave voice to the people and had been an underground driving force until their 2001 performance at Le Festival au Desert (Festival of the Desert) held in Tin-Essako, Mali, a remote region of the Sahara Desert and have now started releasing music not just on DIY cassettes but also CDs and DVDs. Tinariwen’s edgy and trippy rhythm & blues inspired beats seeps through the soul and grabs the spirit like gospel from an alternative planet which, after all, is where they are to most Americans. My picks: “Cler Achel,” “Mano Dayak,” “Ahimana,” “Soixante Trois,” “Toumast,” “Tamatant Tilay” and “Assouf.”
-- by Benjamin Holmann 01/24/08 >> go there
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