Fadimoutou Wallet Inamoud, photo by Ibrahim Ag Aminy Isswat, for lack of a better word, is what people have the habit of calling this particular music from the desert. It's a style that like many things, seems to be localized and specific to one particular region of the world -…
Issawat by Idassane Wallet Mohamed There are two worlds in the Northern country. If there is any global access to Tuareg culture, it is a window into the city life: the Tuareg who live in places like Kidal, ride motorcycles, swap songs on their cellphone, and dance at the guitar…
In the past year, the Northern portion of Mali slipped into chaos, leaving it without military or law. Islamist militants with a bad habit of kidnapping Westerners took control of the cities, and even the most dogged reporters beat a hasty retreat to the capital. Western media empires constructed around…
photo: b. conrad lau “Is it true that during the Tuareg rebellion that started in 1990, he waged war against the Malian government with a Kalashnikov and a Stratocaster strapped across each shoulder? 'That's exactly what happened,' he says softly.” “Sands of Fate.” Peter Culshaw, Feb. 18 2007 1. Kidal…
The remix competition for Amanar's Tenere is completed. Big ups to the eight musicians/producers for their work on the stems. Very excited for the resulting tracks which all went in very different directions. You can download all the remixes at (mediafire) or listen below: El-Mahdy Jr. Remix (link) E3 Remix…
Amanar, the modern guitar Tuareg band from Northern Mali has been featured frequently on this site (1, 2) and numerous vinyl compilations. Their 2008 sessions, recorded locally in Kidal, are high energy guitar pop. While inspired by the preceding repertoire of guitar music, the album marked a departure from the…