Tinariwen

Tinariwen, the legendary group from the Sahara, originated what is today called "desert blues." They prefer to call it "assuf," a Tamasheq word that evokes nostalgia, longing, and the melancholy of vast open spaces. Former fighters in the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s, they traded their weapons for guitars to sing of freedom, exile, and hope. Their hypnotic riffs, gravelly voices, and enchanting rhythms have since crossed borders, turning their music into a universal cry. In twenty years Tinariwen has become one of the most respected ambassadors of Tuareg culture, invited to the world's largest stages and festivals. Their concerts, true collective trances, celebrate the raw beauty of the desert and the power of musical resistance.