Tinariwen deliver songs of hope from a homeland in crisis

The scorching guitars and hypnotic rhythms of Tinariwen help preserve Tuareg culture. (Supplied: Marie Planeille) Link copiedShareShare articleTinariwen are not just another rock band. The connection to their music, and to each other, transcends words. When you hear the sprawling West African ensemble in full flight, you're experiencing songs of protest, songs of love, and songs of hope, and a musical tradition that has survived despite consistent attempts to silence it. The group are a collective of Tuareg musicians — a nomadic people from the Sahara — many of whom came of age during periods of rebellion and exile. Soon after coming together in 1979, they became a staple of weddings and celebrations across the Sahara, their blend of indigenous music with guitar-heavy rock'n'roll appealing to the new generation of Tuareg. Authorities knew it was powerful too. Secular music has been restricted in various ways throughout Tinariwen's career, even outright banned in their home of Northern Mali during the 2012 occupation by Islamist militant group Ansar el Dine. Because, in times of displacement and conflict, music's greatest power is unleashed. Sometimes that's via a call to action, sometimes it's just through reassuring people that there are better times ahead. On Amidinim Ehaf Solan, the opening track of their new album Hoggar, Tinariwen's Touhami Ag Alhassane dreams of better times for his country and his people. "My friend, I beg of you, go gently," his lyrics translate to. "We still have a country, albeit thirsty and in pain, but it will turn green again and grow new branches. There will be shade again, and beneath it we'll take our rest. "An old woman and a boy came by here to implore you to come together and unite, all of you, without exception." Hoggar is named after the region where the band recorded the new album. (Supplied: Wedge Records) This song of hope and optimism sadly doesn't reflect reality. "Honestly, I'm not really positive about the future of our people," founding guitarist and vocalist Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni tells Double J. "There are moments of joy, but there isn't much hope at the moment." Perhaps most heartbreaking is that they're used to it. The members of Tinariwen have faced persecution their entire lives. Violent extremism has too often shaped life in their homeland, including right now. "The Malian army is the biggest threat to us, the Tuaregs from the north of the country," Ag Alhousseyni explains of the situation now. "With the help of Russian mercenaries, they attack civilians, slaughter cattle, poison wells, etc. It has become too dangerous for us to stay in the Kidal region, so we all fled to southern Algeria." The band specifically found themselves in Tamanrasset, the capital of the Hoggar region the album is named for, to make their latest album. "It's the first time in a very long time that we've recorded close to our homes," Ag Alhousseyni says. "That felt great, with friends and family stopping by every day. It's just a bit harder to stay focused." Inviting guests to collaborate is a big part of Tinariwen's way of working. While western music fans will recognise the hushed but heartwarming tenor of Sweden's José González, the local musicians who jump on board are just as compelling. "Because the recording was in Tamanrasset, there was this idea of reuniting several generations of Tuareg musicians," Ag Alhousseyni explains. "Old Tinariwen members like Diarra and Wonou, who we hadn't played with in years, and younger musicians such as Sadam, Hicham and Haibalah from Imahran." Tinariwen made their latest album Hoggar in the Southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset (Supplied: Marie Planeille) Hoggar marks the first time Tinariwen have recorded with former member Liya "Diarra" Ag Ablil, a longstanding icon of Tamasheq music, in two decades. "Diarra is one of the founders of Tinariwen," Ag Alhousseyni says. "He left the band to start his own group, Terakaft. Since he lives in Timiaouine now, it just made sense to invite him for this reunion album." They slipped back into a shared musical language with ease, Diarra's guitar lines feeling perfectly at home on each of the six tracks he plays on. "It felt very natural," Ag Alhousseyni says. "There's a long history between us, so working together again was easy and emotional at the same time." Hoggar also includes a deeply resonant reinterpretation of the Sudanese song Sagherat Assani — "a song that is very important to me," Ag Alhousseyni says — featuring guest vocals from Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas, one of a few women who appear on Hoggar. While the core membership of Tinariwen is all male, the music they make is more inspired by women. "It was important for us to include female singers on this album," Ag Alhousseyni says. "The majority of the music we play today is inspired by traditional Tuareg music played by women. The tinde [percussion] and the imzad [one-string fiddle] were instruments tradi

Tinariwen deliver songs of hope from a homeland in crisis

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