Picks of the Week - Tinariwen Live (Mali/Algeria)
Catching up on a long-lived "desert blues" band that only came up on my radar lately.
I don't get out much anymore - as far as music goes. My concert going days are mostly behind me. But I see that Tinariwen are touring in Europe in June. If they ever make it to my corner of the states, I'll surely rouse myself from my torpor and be present.
I'm way behind the curve regarding Tinariwen, who have been doing their thing since 1979. My excuse (if I need one) is that Africa is kind of a big place and I tend to direct my attention more toward the music of the southern and eastern countries.
Wiki calls the band "...a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of southern Algeria and of northern Mali, in the region of Azawad." When they're mentioned, it's usually as one of the early and probably foremost purveyors of something called "desert blues."
Rather then recycle all the biographical stuff that’s out there into something I could pass off as new, I'll just direct you to the fairly extensive bio at their web site.
As I skipped around YouTube, catching up on the band's music, I focused on the live performances, as I often do. Nothing against studio recordings, but the live ones often seem to have more life. I've highlighted a few favorites here. I've listened to them quite a bit and will continue to:
Sweden 2012
Glastonbury 2007
I really hope they come to your part of the states as they are amazing live. Incredibly hypnotic. I laughed when I saw that you included one of their WOMAD festival shows in your short list. I had the great privilege of getting to be a camera person for the WOMAD festival in Seattle 2000 (I think 2000, my sense of time is very messy.) Tinariwen played on one of the smaller stages and I got to film that show. On a separate note, at the same festival, I got to smoke a joint with the members of the Tuvan throat singing band, Huun Huur Tu. I agree that their live performances are extra special, but many of their studio albums do a fine job of capturing their unique energy.