aman iman (water is life)

the third and latest album from sahara desert touareg (nomad) band tinariwen
i will go on about gigs i have seen in my time but these guys at womadelaide in 2004 was a standout
there is nothing so satisfying as parking yourself in front of a large stage with a large crowd
having no idea about the act that is about to perform and then being totally transfixed by the show
even better it was an outdoor show on a warm and slightly breezy night in the botanic gardens
maybe similar to conditions they are used to but whatever it was a very memorable show
chant-based, rhythmical, bluesy, rock-infused, call-and-response, trance-inducing groove music
the performers dressed in beautiful flowing traditional touareg clothing head to foot
and at least 5 of them with stunning, shiny electric guitars strapped on and played expertly
luckily for all there they performed another set the next night and same again as the sun set
i got hold of their second album shortly thereafter and have played and displayed it to death
they have been snapped up by a major european label and toured the world since
the new album came out a few months ago and now i feel it is time to do the in-depth analysis
with thanks to the band i have transcribed the notes for each track from the liner notes
cler achel (i spent the day)
this is a song about wandering, about displacement and about the exile of the touareg people
following the terrible droughts of the mid 1970's and 1980's
since these catastrophic events, homesickness and longing
have become the most potent emotions in modern touareg music
a strong bass line, electric guitars, hand-clapping and voice - the unmistakable sound
mano dayak
a homage to mano dayak the great touareg freedom fighter and leader from niger
who was killed in a plane crash in 1995
dayak also made his name as the writer of several important books on touareg culture and politics
and as a guide of the great thiery sabine during the annual paris-dakar rally
this one features multiple acoustic guitars and a strong beat accompanied with hand-clapping
matadjem yinmixan (why all this hate between you)
a message to the touareg people urging them to stop perpetuating tribal and factional rivalries
and to seek unity in order to better face the challenges of the modern world
starts out sounding like keef richards mucking around on his gee-tar then settles into a very nice groove
ahimana (oh my soul)
this is a song with a traditional rhythm, sound and a medley of different traditional lyrics
usually sung by women, overlaid with japonais' own improvisations that give the whole a contemporary twist
japonais is one of the most respected poets in the southern sahara
he starts by reading a letter to his mother back home, which tells of the grinding difficulties of life in exile
later in the song, japonais reverts to tradition and and sings from a young woman's perspective
could be a blues track from the deep south of the u s but for the giveaway vocals
soixante trois (sixty three)
this is one of the first songs which ibrahim wrote in the 1980's with the help of inteyeden
a friend and fellow founder member of tinariwen who died of a strange illness in 1994
the song is about the rebellion of 1963 in which a group of touaregs from the adrar des iforas in northeastern mali
rose up spontaneously against the young independent state - the revolt was brutally suppressed by the malian army
and this suppression created a climate of antagonism and resentment which lead directly to the second rebellion in 1980
a quite slow gentle bluesy number with single guitar and bass/drum backing
toumast (the people)
1994 was a time of trouble and disunity amongst the touareg
the rebel movement had split into conflicting factions after the peace accords of 1991
some groups wanted peace, others wanted to continue fighting
in this song, which was written in 1994, adbullah calls for unity and togtherness
trademark tinariwen sound again with the emphasis on vocal harmonising and a standout guitar riff
imidiwan winakalin (friends of my country)
this is a song written in exile about the pain of separation from family and loved ones
great beat inspiring a clap-along to the excellent out-front guitar work
awa didjen (that which has happened)
a call to awareness and awakening in which japonais mentions some of the problems
that plague the touareg people including lack of water
and ignorance of their own language tamashek
one of the best songs on the album - out and out blues-rock-chant-dirge-thing
ikyadarh dim (i look at you)
no liner notes on this one - probably because it's a bit of an album filler
acoustic guitar and very close up vocals and slight backing vocals
works very nicely actually with a meditative hand-clap in there also
tamatant tilay (death is here)
this is a song written by hassan one of the founder members of tinariwen in 1983
he urges his touareg brothers to keep up the fight without fearing death
one of the more up tempo tracks with a great beat, riff and dirty guitar sound
assouf (longing)
assouf is a particularly hard word to translate - it can mean loneliness, longing or nostalgia
but also a specific feeling or mood associated with vast uninhabited spaces where spirits dwell and with exile too
a touareg once summed up assouf as meaning everything which lies out there in the darkness beyond the warmth of the campfire
this is a song written by ibrahim in the 1980's expressing the longing and homesickness of exile
the standout tune on the album - full on wah-wah blues guitar, ultra-rhythmical bass, clapping and multiple voices harmonising
izarharh tenere (i lived in the desert)
a hymn to the beauty and mystery of the desert
a beautiful album closer featuring acoustic guitars, electric backing and excellent production

move over bob marley, etc we have a new iconic musician in leader of tinariwen ibrahim ag alhabib
a great album that can be held on repeat, continuous, shuffle play for days on end