Touareg Supergroup Terakaft Takes Time For Latest Messages From The Sahara
By: Steve Hochman

Text, Tweet, iPhone, Blackberry, Skype, Facebook, Facetime… there’s no distance any more, no separation. Or at least it seems, superficial as so much of this is. So while from a journalistic perspective it was frustrating to learn that the members of Terakaft – one of the leading groups from the nomadic Saharan Touareg culture, including former members and still associates of the most famous such group, Tinariwen – could not be reached directly to discuss the new album Aratan N Asawad, but would need to be contacted by email, via their Parisian manager, and the process could take as long as a month, on a humanistic level it was somewhat pleasing.

And the results more than lived up to any hopes. Where some email interviews, particularly those that have to go through translation, this set (to and from French by manager Philippe Brix) proved eminently rewarding. The answers that came back from the three core Terakaft members, guitarists Liya Ag Ablil (aka Diara) and Sanou Ag Ahmed and bassist Abdalla Ag Ahmed, were thoughtful, informed, insightful and wordly - just like their music, some of the most bracing of the desert blue that has emerged in recent years, with its swirl of electric guitars and steely vocals.

Not that this should be a surprise, given that the group has toured the globe, recorded the new album in France and carries a history of a people engaged in geopolitical struggles for basic rights, let alone autonomy, that have played a large part in shaping relations in Northwest Africa for several decades. All of that plays strongly into the new album, a bracing set of desert blues that captures the sweep of hopes, dreams, fears and depressions that come with their life – the kind of things that can only be possible to know and express by making sure the ties to the culture and community never loosen, even if it means unplugging from the rest of the world when possible.

So good were the answers as delivered that it seemed a shame to edit or editorialize, so here (with one minor order shift to keep continuity) is the exchange in total:

Around the World: Through music, the cause and culture of Touareg life has become known around the world and received much support. But “Alghalem,” the first song on the album, seems very pessimistic. What is happening in your world right now that makes you seem to lack hope? Or is that an accurate assessment of the song?

Abdallah Ag Ahmed:Historically, the Touareg had a vast country, but it’s been divided into five for a long time: Algeria, Mali, Niger, Libya and Burkina-Faso. That division has separated and isolated us. Today, each is in their particular “corner," and there's no more sharing between the Touareg. We constantly dream of a united Touareg nation, but we may never see it come. It's true that the song "Alghalem" is a pessimistic song. It talks of a situation that has been at a stalemate for a long time. My intention with this song is to say, “Touaregs – make a stand”.

ATW:The first line is “There is trust and understanding in the world.” Do you feel that’s just not available to you?

Abdallah:Yes, there is the impression that things are moving everywhere in the world, but not here. In the desert, social life has changed. Many Touaregs are displaced and each lives separately, a life without hope.

ATW:The title song, though, does seem to give a sense that there can be unity. What would it take to accomplish that and what would the results be?

Liya Ag Ablil, aka Diara:“Aratan n Azawad” talks of all that must be learned for us to be united. The starting point is for children to go to school.  But it (school) omits many things for the Touareg. To be united, there must be a leader, someone who will show us the way over the obstacles.  There are plenty of chiefs amongst the Touareg. But there is no way out.

Abdallah:"Aratan N Azawad" is a song which dates back to the rebellion, 20 years ago.  My intention was to give a message to the children in school, that above all, they must learn. My intention was also to say that they should learn to sing, so that they understand music with this song.

ATW: “Akoz Imgharen” is also a cry for unity. Could you please discuss the details and intent of this song?

Diara: "Akoz Imgharen" means "the four patriarchs". I wrote this song twenty years ago, based on a picture I saw on a packet of Algerian cigarettes of four old people seated.  It was a little like the camel on the Camel cigarettes.  In my song, one of the men comes from Ajjer, the others from the Ahaggar, Adrar and Air regions. They are speaking of the need for us to unite and change the world of the Touareg.

ATW:Not all of the songs are like that. "Idaya Idohena" is beautiful for its simplicity, just a brief, evocative image. Can you please explain the song, its roots and intent? Is there tradition behind this song? 

Sanou Ag Ahmed:"Idiya Idohena" comes from the Touareg iswat, which is a variety of songs danced by young people in the middle of the night – it’s a seductive way of showing yourself off.  It's a traditional song which we have adapted for the voice and guitar.

ATW:How have things changed in your life and in your music in the time since your last album?

Diara:Kedou and Rhissa left the group after "Akh Issudar". Abdallah joined us and I became the leader of Terakaft. Abdallah and his brother Sanou are the sons of my older brother, and I taught them how to play the guitar. We have played together for a long time. We work well together.

ATW:How are those changes reflected on the new album?

Diara:We've seen a big change because the new album has pleased everybody. We worked well in the studio. In 10 days we recorded good rhythmic songs like "Talikoba" or "Akoz Imgharen".  It's difficult to say what style of songs we will do in the future. I think probably the same.

ATW:There has been in the past a connection between Muammar Gaddafi and the Touareg. What do you think about the situation now regarding him and Libya?

Diara:I think that the Touaregs were surprised.  For us, Libya and Gaddafi had been like an open door to a future, or a way of leaving misery behind. Today, we have enough educated people who understand that our future can only be changed by ourselves. We haven’t looked or hoped for anything from Gaddafi for a long time.  But some of our parents had jobs in the army and found money in Libya. It’s the future of the Touareg diaspora in Libya which worries us, particularly the way they’ll eventually return to Mali, and the consequences of that return.

ATW:Do you have friends or relatives in Libya or other countries that have seen uprisings recently? If so, have you heard from them?

Diara:I have friends and family in Libya, and I am in touch with them every day. Some of them have come back, but not all of them.

ATW:Do you think anything like that could happen in your country?

Diara:For the moment, all is going well, and we hope that it continues. Especially if a solution is found for the thousands of Touareg who are enlisted in the Libyan army in the event that after Gaddafi, they’re no longer wanted.

ATW:Do you feel that the Touareg message, as expressed to the world via such wonderful music, has been an inspiration to people in other countries? Do you connect that with what has happened recently in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and so on?

Diara:Perhaps our music has been a source of inspiration in other countries. In any case, the elders who created this music ensured that it carried a message of peace, particularly in the Touareg world.

ATW:With all this going on in North Africa, do you have a new message to tell the world?

Diara:I say to the entire world that there's nothing better than peace and unity.

ATW:Please elaborate on the details of making this album?

Diara:We rehearsed the songs for 15 days in France with Jean-Louis Livenais who helped us to prepare.  He's a guitarist who had already played with Terakaft, and the studio was in his home. After rehearsing, it was Cali, a sound engineer from Angers who came to take things in hand and who produced the album. We recorded two songs a day, and then did a little mixing.  Cali then finished the mixing by himself.  On the album, we worked with a French guy, Mathias, on percussion [ex-Orange Blossom, ex-Akeikoi]. We had only known him for three weeks - we played concerts together in Morocco and WOMAD in Spain.  I showed him Touareg drums and he rehearsed everything that I taught him.  He did well, and since then he's played with us.  Finally, we made a simple record, not overproduced.

ATW:What music has been inspiring you recently? Anything new and exciting that you have heard? If so, can you discuss what it is and what you like about it?

Diara:It’s always the same. I listen to the songs of Inteyeden, or I play them. He was the co-founder of Tinariwen with Ibrahim Abraybone, but he died in the early ‘90’s.  His music was the precursor of modern Touareg music. Or I listen to the music of Ali Farka Touré, with his way of adapting traditional music to modern guitar. Also Bob Marley, whose music is captivating. Apart from that, recently when I was in the desert I listened to “tindé” music, which I find essential for my soul.

[Manager Brix notes: The “tindé” is the ultimate form of Touareg percussion and is an instrument that is played only by women. The sound is deep and profound. When tindé is played, the camels dance and parade around the women.]

ATW: Are there new Touareg groups coming up now, a new generation? What are they doing differently from you?

Abdallah:Yes, there are a lot of new young up and coming Touareg groups.  The difference is that they mix rap and rock, and also Arab music. We play original music, the songs of Diara and Inteyeden of Tinariwen.

ATW:Can people enjoy and appreciate your music without knowing about you and your culture? Certainly some people just like the sounds and rhythms? Is that okay? What would you say to them?

Abdallah:A lot of people appreciate Touareg music without knowing our culture or indeed the artists. Some listen to the sound, others to the rhythm, and others the voice.  Some understand the meaning of the songs themselves.  It's not a problem. In concert, we see that our songs are understood. It's instinctive. I would say to everyone, come and see us at our gigs.

ATW:Are you working on any collaborations with other artists, from Mali or elsewhere? Anything you can tell about them if so? Or any plans for something like that coming up?

Diara:In the past, we’ve played with a lot of artists from Mali, like Ali Farka Touré and also of course with Tinariwen, we recorded with them for their last album "Imidiwan".  But we haven't collaborated with any foreign artists, apart from last year with Kiran Alhuwalia, an Indian from New York.  We also did a concert near Angers during which we played with a Celtic clarinetist. That was brilliant!  We’ll definitely continue to collaborate.  It's a question of meeting artists, and hopefully we’ll meet a lot of artists during our tour.