Tinariwen warmed our hearts at Concorde2 last week with their signature desert harmonies and bluesy guitar riffs backed by slap bass and traditional drums.
The band’s name – simply translated as ‘the deserts’ – relates to their nomadic home where the musical collective was formed in North Africa in the late 70s. Their sound resonates with the open spaces of the Saharan desert where the traditional Tuareg communities would wander freely unhindered by country borders. After Western attempts at colonisation, their homes were threatened and these harmonious locals were forced to trade their instruments for guns in the fight for Tuareg independence. The resulting displacement led to them hearing alternative Western music, like Hendrix, for the first time. Like Tamikrest, another Tuareg band inspired by a similar fusion of styles, Tinariwen’s music shows a clear influence of blues and rock. But like the undefined boundaries of their homelands, these musical genres are transcended with ease.
The band’s set starts in pitch darkness with ‘Tinde’, a beautiful a cappella piece. Like many of the traditional songs of the Tuareg, it sounds like a chant of verse or poetry. As it finishes, the lights are raised and the rest of Tinariwen join the stage in six-strong force. Clothed in traditional gowns in shades of shiny blue, white and cream, and veils – as typically worn by the men in their home country – the band’s roots are unmistakable.
Exchanging guitars between rotating frontmen, Tinariwen continually build on the tempo of their music with native Tuareg harmonies set to traditional North African drums and Western guitars. The bass in particular is astounding, fast paced and rhythmic – a key element to every track. The music speaks for itself, and the voices are not lost in translation. A fortunate thing as they are men of few words; except for a quick “merci, thank you” between songs from Sadam Iyad Imarhan – the only member to sport an afro instead of the traditional headgear.
Sharing the lead roles suggests there’s a real collective feel to the group, and many of them are often not on stage at the same time. They play tracks from their half dozen recordings, including last year’s release ‘Emmaar’. This was their first album to be recorded away from home, the band opting for the Joshua Tree desert in the United States instead.
“You happy? Is OK? You welcome to the desert,” says Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni as the blinding set of seventeen back-to-back tracks reaches its peak two-thirds in. Here we hear songs ‘Arawan’ and ‘Nazagh Ejbal’, the latter’s alluring intro reminding us of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’. Not one of us could stand still for these upbeat energisers, and neither could the band’s frontline musicians whose dancing was prolific throughout.
The Saharan natives leave the stage to the sounds of a raucous recall. Obligingly, on return they cram in another three songs. First comes ‘Wartila’, a solo from Abdallah who is then joined in force for the final two songs, ending on a high with ‘Chaghaybou’.
Relying on their instruments to do the talking, it’s safe to say that Tinariwen have won us over. If you’ve never had a chance to listen to them, this could well be the best music you’ve never heard before.
Concorde2, Wednesday 27th May 2015
Words and photos by Fran Moore
