As you may not know about Tinariwen, here’s a little bio: Tinariwen, meaning “deserts”, are a group of Tuareg musicians from Northern Mali, a region of the Sahara. They sing about the struggle and triumphs of the spirit of their people. They’re unique and something everyone should listen to.
From the outset, you are straight in the deep end. Transported to a kind of midnight walk through the desert, as depicted on the cover. The rhythm and the beat match your left and right feet. The band around you sing of the land and the earth, how you and your surroundings grow together in mutual respect. You are one of them, they are one of you. It’s quite honestly, lovely.
But who else is joining you on your journey? Well, Warren Ellis of the Bad Seeds, the mad wizard of the east strings his violin in the sand. It’s cold but you are among warming humanity, people who smile and celebrate life, judging others only on their ability to be peaceful and loving, something we all should strive for. Though you are surrounded by darkness, you find yourself in a sort of home without walls and windows, ceilings and roofs, with only a single ambient light for guidance. The music is hypnotising, calming and soothing. The desert wind is in your ears. Sand is in the soles of your shoes.
There’s a lot of blues in Tinariwen, the kind that riffs on simplicity but builds a more complex emotion than any symphony. It’s a spiritual thing – yup I said it – it feels gritty-but-real, very real. Although I can’t understand the words, I know what they’re saying, and it’s beautiful.
P.S. For me, there are fewer greater combinations of sounds than a Saharian guitar player and a “wah” pedal – a box of electrics that makes the guitar go woaaaooaoaaao. Cracking stuff.
Haiku Review
Saharan night walk,
You’re in nomads land Jimmy,
Breath it into you
Listen to Tinariwen on Spotify and Apple Music.
