“Songs can extend like sweeping desert landscapes. And like a nomad traversing those sands, Tinariwen’s music carries only essentials and needs nothing more.” —New York Times
Hear the new sound of desert blues from Mali—Tinariwen’s sinuous electric guitars and galloping rhythms meld with centuries-old traditional melodies, collective vocals, and punctuating handclaps. This band of Touaregs was formed in a refugee camp in Libya in the early 1980s when they traded their guns for electric guitars to create gutty, riff-driven songs of exile and rebellion. Their East-meets-West sound has kindred roots that stretch from Bob Marley to John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry to Ali Farka Touré. Presented as standing room with limited seating. Copresented with the Cedar Cultural Center.