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PrintTinariwen 'Imidiwan: Companions' (World Village)
Group Bombino 'Guitars From Agadez Vol. 2' (Sublime Frequencies)
Group Doueh 'Treeg Salaam' (Sublime Frequencies)
Compared to many other world issues, the plight of the desert-dwelling Tuaregs has been vastly underreported. Various Tuareg factions (closely related to the Berber or "Amazigh" population of northwest Africa) revolted in the '60s, the '90s, and again in 2007-09 against the governments of Mali and Niger in pursuit of ethnic autonomy and equitable resource distribution, much as their ancestors did in battling the Romans, the Arabs and the French throughout history.
Against this backdrop of fragmented national identity (the Tuaregs' homeland is split further among Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso), a musical group formed in Qaddafi's late '70s military camps etched the template for electric Saharan blues on scratchy cassettes passed around campfires and oases. The band, called Tinariwen ("deserts" in their Tamasheq language) consists of founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib with several other guitarists, a bassist, percussionists, and male and female backing vocalists, mostly based in the Malian town of Tessalit.
You may not have heard of Tinariwen yet, but they've already played the Coachella festival, and "Imidiwan: Companions" is their fourth album to receive European acclaim. Although the call-and-response lyrics (about loneliness and longing, riding camels, and urging the exiled Tuareg to rise up for self-determination) are typical of African music, the string-bending blues-drone and loping 4/4 rhythms are not. The result is a blend of exotic and familiar, deeply indigenous but with some recognizable rock elements. Although you may be tempted to shut your eyes and nod your head, you'd miss the beautiful presentation of the booklet with the poetic Tamasheq lyrics and their translation, plus a bonus disc with a short film about the band. The presentation adds to the immersive experience of this fine album.
Then, you may want to delve deeper into the second generation of Tuareg bands, starting with Group Bombino from Agadez in Niger, still a hotbed of the insurgency. In this culture, the men (not the women) wear the blue turbans and veils which make them look like Tusken Raiders. The wind blows and a camel grunts at the beginning of the disc to set the mood. Led by guitarist Oumara Moctar, a sheepherder's son, the group showcases the exceptionally well-recorded "dry" sound (acoustic guitars, percussion and vocals in the badlands, where the intricate fretwork recalls Ali Farka Toure) then switches to amped-up rock with a raw feel.
It's easy to imagine the crowds of women getting up to dance to the ecstatic rhythm and sinewy melodic lines.
Sonically allied with the Tuareg, although probably of Sahrawi extraction, guitarist Salmou Baamar digs into the archives of his cassette-dubbing shop in Dakhla, Western Sahara (still fighting for its independence from Morocco) to cull cuts from 1989-1996 for his second CD with Group Doueh, featuring wife Halima (tbal drum), friend Bashiri (vocals) and son Jamal (keyboards). The fidelity on "Treeg Salaam" ("Streets of Peace") is wildly scattered -- the first track displays Baamar's blistering modal guitar (not unlike Tinariwen), but the second is so distorted that it's hard to make out details, while the third incorporates wah effects and drum machine close to the meandering pop of Algerian rai. The final song, "Tazit Kalifa," stretches out the trancelike nature of the Saharan guitar style over 20 minutes, even though the music still sounds like it was recorded several rooms away.
Investigating these releases is a lot cheaper than flying to Africa and tracking these musicians down, like Hisham Mayet from Sublime Frequencies did to compile these discs. With the Internet's convenience, you can then link to a dozen other bands in the Tuareg scene (such as Tartit, Etran Finatawa, and Group Inerane) that will satisfy your thirst for desert music. It's one of the most interesting sounds out there today.
-- Manny Theiner for the Post-Gazette
Juliana Hatfield, "Peace and Love": Indie-pop darling (from the Blake Babies) produced and played all the instruments on this stripped-down, 11th studio album.
Carolina Chocolate Drops, "Genuine Negro Jig": The North Carolina-based string band's second album and first for Nonesuch features interpretations of Blu Cantrell's beat-box driven R&B single "Hit 'Em Up Style" and Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose," as well as a pair of originals.
James Otto, "James Otto": Member of Nashville's MuzikMafia releases an album of "country-soul."
Matthew Ryan, "Dear Lover": New album from raspy-voiced Nashville folk-rocker, originally from Chester, Pa.
Field Music, "Measure": Acclaimed British indie-pop band returns from hiatus and expands its sound on this 20-song double album.
Seven Fields of Aphelion, "Periphery": Solo debut by female member of Pittsburgh psych band Black Moth Super Rainbow.
-- Scott Mervis, smervis@post-gazette.com
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