Tinariwen

The Hoggar Tour

With their desert robes and Tuareg turbans (orshesh), Tinariwen are regarded as the iconic pioneers of what has become known as “desert blues.” The band themselves refer to their music as assouf – a term from the Tamasheq language meaning “longing” or “homesickness,” and one that captures the emotional core of their sound. Founded in 1979 on the border between Mali and Algeria, Tinariwen are deeply rooted in the history, culture, and political experiences of the Tuareg people.

Following their involvement in the Tuareg uprising of 1990, the band members exchanged weapons for instruments, forging a distinctive musical language from traditional West African and Arab song forms, blues, folk, and rock. Through raw, evocative vocals, hypnotic guitar lines, and rhythmic handclapping, Tinariwen tell stories of exile, resistance, identity, and hope, and are still regarded today as the rock ’n’ roll rebels of the Sahara.

Since gaining international recognition in the early 2000s, Tinariwen have performed more than 1,100 concerts worldwide and released nine studio albums. Three of these were nominated for a Grammy Award, including Tassili, which won the Grammy for Best World Music Album in 2012. For more than two decades, Tinariwen have been regular guests at leading festivals around the globe, playing a key role in bringing the culture, history, and concerns of the Tuareg to international audiences.

www.tinariwen.com