PRICE:
$22.00
NOT IN STOCK
NO RESTOCK ESTIMATE
ARTIST
TITLE
Toumastin
FORMAT
LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
GR 721LP GR 721LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
7/5/2011

Restocked. Up-and-coming Malian band Tamikrest release their second album. Their debut album Adagh generated a buzz throughout the world and was met with enthusiasm from fans and critics alike who agreed that these young musicians are focusing the rebellious power of rock music in their own special way. Tamikrest are from Kidal, a remote desert town in the northwest of the Sahara, some 2,000 kilometers north of the capital, Bamako. The band members are all Tuaregs, a group of people that is spread all over North and some of West Africa, i.e. Niger, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Libya. In ancient times, the Tuareg were the proud rulers of the Sahara, but their territory was divided in different countries and they had to fight long and hard for independence. Between 1990 and 1995 this fight evolved into a bloody civil war. After the war, many of the rebel fighters traded the Kalashnikovs and hand grenades for guitars and microphones. The band Tinariwen is the most prominent example of the unusual establishment of peace through the spirit of music. But their mission is carried further in their songs. The members of Tamikrest are substantially younger than Tinariwen's and they have not actively fought in the war, but there is a close resemblance between both bands. Just like Tinariwen, Tamikrest have found a way to translate the pulse of the blues -- whose roots lie in North Africa -- back to the Tuareg language, Tamaschek. They take generators deep into the desert to have electricity for their guitars in search for the perfect synthesis of their traditional ritual drumming with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. When the band was founded in 2006, they had a hard time getting exposure in their homeland as it proved to be difficult for music with ancient traditions in a country that is flooded with Western-influenced hip-hop and pop. Things changed abruptly when they played the Festival Au Desert in 2008 and met with the American/Australian band Dirtmusic made up of Chris Eckman (Walkabouts), Chris Brokaw (Come) and Hugo Race (Hugo Race & True Spirit). With their second album, the young Tuareg rebels create their own universe using even brighter colors. The enchanted ancient mystique of the songs captures the ear immediately, but as the music carries on, the band bridges the gap between African blues and hypnotic dub, psychedelic funk and an almost supernatural kind of desert garage. The guitars are more offensive, the groove deepens and the Tamaschek chants merge with the meandering guitar riffs like a caravan voyage through ancient times. Tamikrest are ready to embrace the future while proudly maintaining the rich tradition of their folk.