Tinariwen is a Tuareg group that performs in an African style similar to artists like Ali Farka Toure or Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. All of the musicians originate from the southern Sahara, the group's name, meaning "empty places," is a reflection of their land of origin. The band formed in the rebel camps of Colonel Gaddafi, as each of the musicians had been forced from their nomadic lifestyle into involuntary military service. Surrounded by a displaced nation of their peers, Tinariwen forged a new style of music, trading their traditional lutes and shepherd's flutes for electric guitars and drums. The style that resulted was dubbed "Tishoumaren," or "the music of the unemployed." Their music addressed issues such as political awakening, problems of exile, repression of their people, and demands of sovereignty. In a region with no postal or telephone system, their tapes soon became a grassroots voice of rebellion and a rallying point for the disenfranchised nation. Though outlawed in Algeria and Mali, 2001's The Radio Tisdas Sessions and 2004's Amassakoul are available to Western audiences. In 2006, they recorded their third album, Aman Iman: Water Is Life, released internationally in 2007 by Harmonia Mundi's World Village imprint. The album was produced by Justin Adams, and featured the voice and guitar of founding member Mohammed Ag Itlale. Tinariwen toured the world for the first time in its wake. They followed the album with Imidiwan: Companions, a two-disc set containing one disc of music and a DVD documentary about Tinariwen's history. This was once again followed by a world tour that included numerous festival appearances in the United States and Europe. Tinariwen signed to America's Anti imprint in 2010. The label encouraged them to experiment. The end result is Tassili, issued in 2011, in which the band recorded a completely acoustic set in a protected region of the Southeastern Algerian Desert. The tapes were flown to America where guitarist Nels Cline overdubbed electric guitars and New Orleans' famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band added horns, making Tassili a truly international collaboration. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez & Thom Jurek, Rovi
The North African blues group Tinariwen will perform on The Colbert Report on November 29. One of the few musical acts to play the show over the years...
Stephen Colbert may purport to only care about America in his persona, but his guest stars suggest he's more worldly than he lets on. The Mali-native ...
With Jimmy Fallon", performing the anthemic "Don't Try and Hide It" off this year's No Color. They were joined by their former tourmate Neko Case, who...
Last night's guest on The Colbert Report was Tinariwen, "from a North African nomadic tribe, which means they're always on tour." (Also: "Our guests t...
In their video for "Iswegh Attay," a song from their Tassili album, the members of the Touareg desert blues band Tinariwen sit around a well-lit cave,...
Wakarusa has announced its third and final round of artists for this year's festival, taking place May 31 - June 3 at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arka...
14-21 across venues in Brooklyn's Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods. The festival, now in its fourth year, will host musical acts including GZ...
Burning Spear, Tinariwen and the The Motet will perform at Higher Vision. Billed as a one-day grassroots "Community Activation and Awareness Gathering...
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Angels, Deerhunter, Tinariwen, Clinic, Warpaint and Black Mountain are among the acts slated to appear at the s...
