Description
Label Review.
2019 album. Also available on vinyl.
Our Overview.
With a discography stretching out over the last 17 years Tinariwen play music at night around the fire, back in their own country, amongst themselves and at their own pace. In those moments, the music can become like the fire - free, magical and impossible to stuff into a box. Tinariwen existed long before any of their albums were recorded and they still exist quite distinct from their discographic dimension.
‘Amadjar’, the ninth Tinariwen album, is as close as you can get to Tinariwen. And also, therefore, to the idea that things can evolve: bassist Eyadou plays a lot of acoustic guitar; percussionist Said tries his hand at new instruments and the violin that appears on several songs and reminds you of the traditional imzad is actually played by Warren Ellis. The violinist in Nick Cave’s band is one of several western guests on the album. We also hear the mandolin and charango of Micah Nelson (son of the country music giant Willie Nelson and Neil Young’s guitarist) and the guitars of Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O)))), Cass McCombs and Rodolphe Burger. The album is mixed by Jack White’s buddy Joshua Vance Smith.
‘Amadjar’ means ‘the unknown visitor’ in Tamashek, the one who seeks hospitality and who’s condemned to an inner exile, within a territory or within himself; just like the members of Tinariwen, who feel at home on the journey, around the fire with a few immutable songs.