Far more than a band, Tinariwen stands as an icon of freedom and resistance among the nomadic Tuareg, one of the oldest and proudest peoples on earth. Over the past two decades this mesmerizing group of guitar-poets from the southern reaches of the Sahara Desert has transposed traditional melodies to the electric guitar, mixing them with blues, rock, Berber and Arabic influences. With its mesmerizing call-and-response vocals driven by lean guitar riffs and the hollow clip-clop of the calabash (African bottle gourd), Tinariwen showcases a new generation of Tuareg musicians eager to shoulder the band’s oversized role as representatives of their people. This is a multi-culti stew, second to none!

"Call Tinariwen a rock band, if you like. Guitar
orchestra might be more accurate." —Slate