Imarhan

Based in Tamanrasset in southern Algeria, the Tuareg group Imarhan has been developing since the early 2010s a music that links tichumaren (often called "desert blues") with forms more strongly marked by rock, pop and Saharan funk. Composed of several musicians from the Tuareg community, Imarhan sings mainly in Tamasheq and relies on electric guitars, vocal harmonies and rhythms inspired both by local celebrations and by urban music. Their self-titled debut album Imarhan was released in 2016, followed by Temet in 2018, which accentuates rock influences and collective arrangements, and Aboogi in 2022, recorded in their own studio in Tamanrasset and notable for a more acoustic, intimate approach. Through tours in North Africa, Europe and North America, Imarhan has become part of a contemporary Saharan scene connected to international independent networks, expanding collaborations with other Tuareg musicians and guests from the alternative music world. Imarhan's work sits at the crossroads of regional traditions and a modern electric sound, where repetitive guitar motifs mingle with supple bass lines and mid-tempo grooves close to soul, producing songwriting that addresses both daily life in Tamanrasset and the social transformations sweeping the Sahara.