Possibly the world’s favorite African band, Tinariwen return to the U.S. after a long desert hiatus and fresh off a UK tour with folk/electronic group Tunng (watch Tunng video).
With a new concert DVD entitled Live In London (World Village 458086), Tinariwen’s mesmerizing live show is infamous among both world music and rock fans alike, as the group’s music and fascinating story have captured imaginations across genres.
Tinariwen
Tinariwen
Once actual warriors in the heavily turbulent homeland of the taureg - nomads in the southern Sahara - the members of Tinariwen first turned to music as a more profound weapon in 1982, but remained underground until 1999 when the group moved to Bamako, the capital of Mali. Tinariwen have since become a symbol for the plight of the tuareg (or touareg), a people plagued by ethnic cleansing, eternal warfare and merciless drought.
After opening for the Rolling Stones in August 2007, Tinariwen’s music began reaching ears across the world, and has recently been cited as an influence by such groups as Coldplay and Radiohead, and aired on the radio waves by the likes of Black Flag’s Henry Rollins.
Their blues and psychedelic-tinged guitar rock has been featured in the 2008 “Best of Rock” issue of Rolling Stone, as well as in Blender, Uncut and Mojo, in addition to Songlines and fRoots. They are, as USA Today claimed, "One of the most exciting guitar bands on the planet."
In addition to Live In London, 2009 brings a re-release on vinyl of Tinariwen’s latest album 'Aman Iman' - a frequent inclusion on the Best of 2007 lists in publications like Billboard, The Village Voice and fRoots - as well as a new six-part documentary The Music of Resistance, Al Jazeera’s in-depth exploration of artists around the world who fight against oppression and injustice.
Presented by Asian Dub Foundation’s Steve Chandra Savale, the documentary highlights artists from locations like Mozambique, Cape Verde and Nigeria, with interviews and live concert footage.
Tinariwen 2009 US tour dates:
(Dates and information subject to change.)
April 16 - Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco CA
April 17 – Rio Theatre - Santa Cruz CA
April 18 – Coachella - Indio CA
April 19 – Santa Fe Brewing Co - Santa Fe NM
April 21 – KTAOS Solar Center - Taos NM
April 22 – Old Town School - Chicago IL
April 24 – Le Poisson Rouge - New York NY
April 25 – Heineken TransAtlantic Fest - Miami FL
“like a mirage come true: Keith Richards, Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure picking side by side under an unforgiving sun.” - Rolling Stone
"a glorious syncopated noise that puts most rockers to shame…these songs arrive with dust on their boots and a little thirsty." - All Music Guide
“the band’s groove…packs more heat than most Euro-American rockers can even imagine these days." - Los Angeles Times
“It's music of longing and rebellion, weary wisdom and restless energy, and it sounds so, so good. Don't let it pass you by." - Pitchfork
"What opens the golden vistas in your brain are the guitars: Earthly and exotic…it sounds like the sweet spot between joy and suffering." - Blender
“There's an epic weight to the sound, the voices sounding commanding as well as spaced out by all that Saharan sun.” - Songlines, Top of the World
"This extraordinary band are clearly pushing for more than cult world-music status. They fully merit it." - Uncut
“as grave and ultimately unfathomable as Robert Johnson's Delta blues and Jimi Hendrix's psychedelic rock.” - The Absolute Sound
For more information, go to:
Tinariwen Official Website
Tinariwen MySpace
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I saw Tinariwen for the first time at the Sunfest in London Ontario.These guys put on a 'Barn Burner' of a set and had all of London on its feet mark duncan