:: Tinariwen - Amassakoul

Tinariwen

With their roots firmly entrenched in the southern parts of the Sahara desert in Mali, Tinariwen produces their second album and guide the listener through a road of soulful rhythms and bluesy rock patches. The group had their beginnings in 1979 in adapting electrical guitar sounds from the traditional Touareg music. It’s worth noting that four of the six members of the group joined since 2001 and this set indicates a vibrant and varied representation, all with simple effectiveness. There is plenty of percussion detail and hints of reggae and rap elements. They display fervour in still being of a rebellious kind (they’ve been in conflict with the Mali government previously), though now more consolidated into a traditional rock pattern with less conflict to government policies. The collective vocal choruses and stirring grooves will capture many hearts and they will continue to breathe fresh music into their culture and those outside them.