Tinariwen - Tuareg Desert Blues Band

Tinariwen's Beginnings: Tinariwen is a group made up of Tuareg people. When the country Mali was formed in the 1960s, the Tuaregs were repressed. Eventually, Muammar al-Qadaffi recruited large groups of young Tuaregs to fight in Libya's army. Tinariwen met and formed in Qadaffi's rebel camps.

Tuareg History and Culture: The Tuareg people are descendants of the Berbers, a group of Saharan nomads who controlled major trade routes between Subsaharan Africa and the Mediterranean Sea for hundreds of years. Tuaregs are Muslim, but not Arabic. The Tuareg culture is drifting away from nomadic practices, with many people settling in one area. Tuaregs are known as crafters of fine jewelry and leatherwork, and as the world's finest camel trainers.

Tinariwen's Music: While living in Qadaffi's rebel camps, the members of Tinariwen were exposed to American blues stars like John Lee Hooker as well as reggae music. They incorporated these sounds with their traditional Tuareg music and formed a new genre that they coined ishoumar.

Tinariwen Once Considered Dangerous: Because Tinariwen's music spoke to the the problems of the Tuareg people and directly confronted the political issues surrounding their exile, combined with the fact that the band members were members of an militant organization, Mali and Algeria banned their music for many years. A peace treaty was signed with Mali in 1996, ending this ban. At this time, the members of Tinariwen became full-time musicians and no longer fought in the militia.

Festival in the Desert: In 2001, after several years of planning, Tinariwen helped to host the first Festival in the Desert, one of the largest world music festivals in the world. The festival annually hosts a number of blues musicians from the United States, as well as a variety of music from around the globe. The festival, while modern in scope and style, hearkens back to the Tuareg tradition of music festivals, an ancient tradition that had nearly died out.

Tinariwen Discography: Tinariwen has only recorded two albums that are available internationally. Another will likely follow soon.

2001 - Radio Tisdas Sessions Compare Prices
2004 - Amassakoul Compare Prices
2007 - Aman Iman: Water is Life Compare Prices

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