Tinariwen April 22, 2009

Tinariwen is a band of Touareg musicians, members of the nomadic culture of northern Mali's Sahara region and their instantly identifiable sound is a spellbinding, trance-like desert blues. Influenced for decades by western rock and formed in a rebel military camp, this group traded in the traditional stringed instruments for electric guitars to accompany their ornate vocal style. Their participation in the Touareg struggle for independence has informed their lyrics and their gutsy sound.