Tishoumaren Sampler

Pause for a moment and let me get all WOMEX on you. I'm fairly topical in the realm of Peter Gabriel, but I can think of no music that better conveys the promise of hope after a long struggle than the tishoumaren music of the Tuareg nomads of Northern Africa. When the colonial grip faded from Africa these people struggled against lands grabs, drought and starvation. Born in refugee camps in the 80s, tishoumaren music became the rallying cry for resistance against the encroaching countries. There was a time when just possession of a Tinariwen cassette was a crime in Mali and Algeria. The music primarily consists of draping clean guitar jams over a rhythmic framework based on the gait of a camel. I've compiled a little sampler of my fave tracks from a few albums.

Tinariwen

Etran Finatawa

Toumast

Hear a tishoumaren sampler