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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tinariwen beautifully weaves American influences into Malian sound

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Tinariwen’s new album, titled “Emmaar,” begins with a spacey guitar playing a twanging defiant note. Then come lyrics growled in English instead of Tuareg, and instrumentation that would be at home in any American rock band. Tinariwen’s sound has evolved from its Malian roots, thanks to the band’s relocation from the Sahara Desert to another -- the Mojave. But that evolution has not come just because of a shift in scenery. Rather, Tinariwen has not only developed with a changing landscape but has also matured in its own right.

It is impossible to discuss “Emmaar” as an album without first understanding recent events in Mali which taken place since the release of the group’s previous album, “Tassili” (2011), a vibrant record filled with a sense of the wide open spaces of the Sahara. In the last few years, the country which Tinariwen calls home has been subject to various destabilizing uprisings that almost entirely overthrew the reigning government. The dissident movement, originally comprising Tuareg separatists, ousted the Malian president in a coup. Fighting between separatists, Islamists, governmental and regional forces in the northern portions of the country led to French intervention and a ceasefire. The French military has now, for the most part, left the country, but a ceasefire brokered between the government of Mali and Tuareg groups has fallen apart, resulting in a sporadic clashes and bloodshed.

After international success with “Tassili,” which ended up winning a Grammy (among other accolades), the tables then turned on Tinariwen. Islamic militant group Ansar Dine imposed strict interpretations of Sharia law in the portions of Mali they controlled, outlawing the band’s music and placing the musicians themselves in danger. They were forced to flee the country.

The exodus led to Tinariwen’s eventual relocation to the United States, where the influence of American music was able to further creep into the band’s sound. Tinariwen had previously experienced foreign music: its previous albums have gained the band international recognition, exposing it to musicians like Carlos Santana, Thom Yorke and Bono.

Despite this, Tinariwen remains true to its Saharan roots in “Emmaar,” albeit with a darker twist. The songs in tend to be of a slower and more melodic nature than in previous works, and, even if you don’t speak Tuareg, you can almost feel the political energy with which the album is charged. This gives “Emmaar” a much more personal edge than Tinariwen’s previous records.

This energy is clearly felt in the second track, “Chaghaybou.” The guitar and percussion-driven music of the Sahara has often been touted to be a precursor to American blues. This shines through in this song. Despite the rest of the tune carrying an extremely different vibe, the guitar plays a riff that would be at home with one of the blues guitar legends.

Tinariwen’s work has often been labeled “desert rock” or “desert blues,” and for good reason. The music gives the vague impression of the Saharan winds blowing at your side, the hot burning sun shining down on your face and the seemingly endless expanse of sands. “Timadrit in Sahara” is one such song in which the band calls back to its native Sahara, and much like the unforgettable “Kashmir” (1975) by Led Zeppelin, one can’t help but be swept to another faraway place, if only through the music and the hypnotically chanted lyrics.

“Emmaar” is not a perfect album, and there are some points where it slips into a bit of a lull, but overall, it represents a step up from the already established repertoire that gained Tinariwen international fame. If “Tassili” was worth a Grammy, then this album should be an obvious favorite for futher awards, “Emmaar” is well worth a listen or two, if only just to escape a frigid winter climate for the sands of a much warmer place.