Desert blues
Desert blues | |
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Native name | Tishoumaren, assouf |
Other names |
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Stylistic origins |
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Cultural origins | From 1980s to 1990s, |
Regional scenes | |
Tishoumaren (ⵜⵉⵛⵓⵎⴰⵔⴻⵏ in
The musical style took shape as an expression of the culture of the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people, amid their difficult sociopolitical situation, including rebellions, widespread displacement and exile in post-colonial Africa.[7] The word Tishoumaren is derived from the French word chômeur, meaning "the unemployed".[1]
The genre was first pioneered by and popularized outside of Africa by Ali Farka Touré and later Tinariwen. In recent years, artists like Mdou Moctar and Bombino have continued to adapt Saharan rock music and have achieved international success.[8][2][3][9][7]
Historical background
The Tuareg people live in a region of North and West Africa that covers large portions of the Sahara across the modern-day national boundaries of Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, and Chad, and to a lesser extent, reaching into Burkina Faso and Nigeria. They had been nomadic pastoralists involved in trans-Saharan trade for many hundreds of years.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Tuareg were subjected to French colonial rule after a lengthy resistance movement, and subsequent rebellion, were defeated. With the departure of colonial powers in the 1950s and 1960s, the lands inhabited by the Tuareg population were split primarily between the six new countries of Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, Burkina Faso and Chad, making them ethnic minorities across the region. For the next few decades, natural resources diminished due to increasing desertification and the Tuareg minorities have since been involved in a series of conflicts and rebellions, creating hardship for the survival of Tuareg people and their culture.
In 1973, a
Many young men, including future members of
Ishumar
The music of the young, uprooted men who often wandered from town to town was guitar-driven, first acoustic and then electric. These were the men referred to as ishumar, a term derived from the French word chômeur, a term for an unemployed person.[11] The originators of the musical genre were Tinariwen, a group of musicians within camps sponsored by Gaddafi who formed their group in 1979.[1] Tinariwen was the first Tamasheq group to feature electric guitars; they are considered the originator of the style. During rebellion against the government of Mali, Tinariwen's music was spread via audio cassette through the camps. In the early 1990s the group began to gain wider exposure through association with the French band Lo'jo.[12] Additional distribution methods, particularly mp3s on mobile phones,[13] and music festivals like Festival au Désert, aided in increasing the styles popularity during the 2000s and 2010s.[14]
Musical style
The style mixes electric blues with Middle Eastern and African sounds.[15]
Songs are generally sung in Tamasheq language.[10][16] Lyrics have been described as being rooted in traditional Tuareg poetry, with topics including rebellion, war and beauty, and often mention the Sahara desert itself.[1] Homesickness and longing for maintaining Tuareg traditions in the face of exile is also explored.[3][16]
Musically, the
In recent years, some artists have further adapted the sound to introduce more typical Western rock instrumentation, such as replacing traditional percussion with
Also several fusion albums such as The West African Blues Project by Touré Kunda vocalist Modou Toure and British blues guitarist Ramon Goose has provided further exploration mixing western style blues with indigenous music from the Sahara and Sub Saharan regions.See also
- African blues
- Festival au Désert
- Sahel Sounds
- The Rough Guide to Desert Blues
- The Rough Guide to African Blues
References
- ^ a b c d e f Morgan, Andy (10 January 2014). "Songs of exile and resistance: Through their music and poetry, the Tuareg share their inner-battles and wider struggles with the world". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
This new style of music - assouf, guitare, al gitara, teshumara, desert blues, Tuareg rock - call it what you will
- ^ a b c J. D. (11 April 2019). "The virtuosity of Mdou Moctar, the "Jimi Hendrix of the Desert"". The Economist. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ Morgan, Andy (9 June 2016). "Meet Kel Assouf and Imarhan, the new wave of Tuareg rock". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- JSTOR 3317938.
- ^ a b c "Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ^ The Rough Guide to Desert Blues - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-03
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ^ a b Rosen, Jody (2007-05-31). "Is Tinariwen the greatest band on earth?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ Morgan, Andy. "Songs of exile and resistance". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ Oksenhorn, Stewart. "Tinariwen find meaning in the desert 'blues'". www.aspentimes.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "Desert discs: how mobile phones are at the root of Saharan music". the Guardian. 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "Saharan musicians win Uncut award". 9 November 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ a b c "'We are modern slaves': Mdou Moctar, the Hendrix of the Sahara". the Guardian. 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ Frere-Jones, Sasha. "Sahara Blues". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "The 25 best psychedelic rock albums of the 2010s". Happy Mag. 2019-10-14. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ^ "Global Notes: Desert Punk Sounds Of The Songhoy Blues". WBEZ Chicago. 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ^ "Nayda! Gnawa Music Meets Psychedelic Rock in Remarkable First Album From Bab L'Bluz". scenenoise.com. June 15, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2021.