From the harsh and unforgiving desert of Africa’s Sahara to the old and hallowed halls of Stuart’s Opera House, Tinariwen will return to the area once again to perform its own flavor of world blues.
The show comes after the release of the group’s 2014 album Emmaar, which may be the best-produced and well-fleshed out album in the band’s eight-album discography.
Tinariwen formed in the 1980s but has only recently exploded onto the world stage with its 2011 Grammy winning album Tassili, which was recorded in the desert of Mali, the group’s home country. However, due to turmoil in the region the group chose the deserts of California for this recording and the result is a vastly improved recording that retains all the authenticity of previous albums.
The desert environment in which the members were raised fuels this band’s hypnotic sound, sheds light on the nomadic life of the Tuareg people and oppression and poverty in Mali, and mimics the beauty of the desert.
Low chanting voices combine with a downing yet rhythmic electric guitar to form the backbone of the style, which is at its heart bluesy. Separating out the guitar parts, it sounds like slow and methodical Howlin’ Wolf licks, or early Black Keys.
Drums are always stuck in the background with a minimal presence and usually consist of some clicking, a low tom and some congo and dejima work. Although it remains minimal, the drums are fuller and more present than they’ve ever been and provide just the right amount of percussion to fill the sound.
“Toumast Tincha,” the album’s opening track, sets the mood for the entire album, combining all the elements of percussion and blues desert rock into a beautiful blend that remains for the rest of
the album.
The signature guitar sound really comes out in “Chaghaybou,” which opens with a line straight out of any classic American blues record and continues with its grooving rock format adapted to the stylings of the Tuareg culture.
Emmaar drags a little at nearly 50 minutes for a full listen through, and many songs are identical. But that's not a bother when you can just sink into the music and let it take you away.
Tinariwen is a real rock band that has a lot to write about that many may never fully understand. Thankfully, we can begin to feel those emotions through the elegant and mesmerizing sounds it produces.
If you go:
What: Tinariwen
When: 8 p.m., Friday
Where: Stuart’s Opera House
Admission:
Box Seats: $35 adv. — $40 door
Floor: $25 adv. — $30 door
Balcony: $20 adv. — $25 door
@wilbur_Hoffman
wh092010@ohiou.edu
