The Tuareg nomads Tinariwen made the desert blues from northern Mali world famous. Tamikrest belongs to a younger generation – and it shows. They renew the sound and do not hesitate to bring in a little more influences from western rock music. They themselves have said that in addition to their Tuareg heritage, they also listened a lot to the Algerian musician Rachid Taha, flamenco and Pink Floyd.
DN’s Nils Hansson included them in his list of “Hottest bands from the desert”, raising especially their acclaimed album Kidal, they have really stepped out into the world with their Tuareg rock’n’roll. The music revolves around the Tuareg’s struggle for existence: the Tuareg rebellion in 2012 led to their own independent state for a short time. However, this state formation only lasted for a short year before it was occupied by al-Qaeda who imposed their extremely strict interpretation of Islamic law. The area was subsequently liberated by the French military – but the right to self-determination for the Tuareg was not high on the agenda. It is these experiences that form the painful fund in this caressingly beautiful and at the same time tragically sad desert blues that Tamikrest creates. The guitars howl, Ousmane Ag Mossa sings beautifully and wistfully about the struggle for his people. It’s strong, unique and important – and very proud music that is hugely strong live.
Now Tamikrest is back with their strong and painful rock and with songs about protests, oppression, revolution and a positive future. The sound is their typical desert bluesy rock and the melodies are a mix of traditional African music and western rock.
Ousmane Ag Mossa – vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar
Cheick Ag Tiglia – bass, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Paul Salvagnac – guitar, acoustic guitar, slide
Wouter Van Asselbergh – drums, percussion
