Tinariwen- Cler Achel
Are you familiar with Tinarwin? Pretty incredible story…
During the early 1980s, in a rebel camp run by Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, a band was formed by musicians from the Touareg (Saharan nomads from Mali) tribe. They called themselves Tinariwen, which means “empty spaces” in their native Tamashek. Their music incorporated hypnotic, rocked-out, bluesy-sounding electric guitars (a first for people from an area where power is only sporadically available) while retaining traditional instruments, rhythms and call-and-response vocals. For nearly two decades, Tinariwen’s underground cassettes counseled anti-violence and ethnic pride amid encroaching chaos, making them a beacon of empowerment for local youth struggling with the demise of “camel culture” and conflicting propaganda.
The band just opened an online shop called Sahara Arts. They sell beautiful Touareg jewlery as well as clothes and other traditional craft. It’s worth a look as a lot of the pieces are intricate and beautiful.
Their music on iTunes and other retailers
