Tinariwen — Live on KEXP, 2014

Filmed live session by Tinariwen in the KEXP radio studio in Seattle, recorded on 14 April 2014. A Tuareg collective born in the camps of southern Algeria and northern Mali, Tinariwen invented a form of “desert blues” (assouf) blending hypnotic electric guitars, Tamasheq singing and the poetry of exile. Winner of a Grammy Award for the album Tassili (2011), the group is recognised as one of the major ambassadors of Tuareg music worldwide. This KEXP session, a multi-song live format, shows them in an acoustic and electric configuration. The live concert runs through four songs: “Cler Achel”, “Timadrit In Sahara”, “Tahalamot” and “Chaghaybou”. Between rhythmic trance, guitar loops and vocal harmonies, Tinariwen unfolds a deeply rooted and political desert music. Captured by the KEXP team (host: Darek Mazzone), this filmed live performance illustrates the hypnotic power of a Saharan blues that has become universal. Year: 2014. Part of KEXP’s celebrated series of in-studio live performances, this full multi-song session can be watched online in HD.