Tinariwen - Live at Bouffes du Nord Theatre, Paris.

Format:

Video

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Africa.

Tuareg.

Musicians.

Musical performances.

Local Subjects:

Africa.

Tuareg.

Musicians.

Musical performances.

Genre:

Performance

Physical Description:

1 online resource (60 minutes)

Place of Publication:

Paris, Ile-de-France : Qwest TV, 2011.

Language Note:

In French.

Original language in French.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

Tinariwen’s June 2011 concert at the Bouffes du Nord performing arts theatre in Paris features the group of self-styled "poet guitarists and soul rebels" from Tessalit (north-east of Mali and the southern part of the Sahara desert). Like much of Tinariwen’s music, the concert exudes a sense of ritual and community born from exile and suffering and mixed into a soundscape that incorporates blues, rock and traditional Tuareg music. Formed in 1982 at a festival in Algiers, the original trio entitled Taghreft Tinariwen, "building countries" in Tamasheq, played a key role during the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s by spreading messages of hope and resistance to their compatriots through music – Ibrahim Ag Alhabib is the only remaining member of that original group. The solemn-voiced bandleader, Ag Alhabib stands at the fulcrum of a semi-circle on stage, the opening notes of "Assuf D Alwa" (longing and solitude) herald the start of an hour long session that’s akin to getting to listen in on an intimate conversation between lifelong friends and allies set to lilting acoustic guitar and low slung percussion. Blending West African musical influences with traditional Tuareg melodies, the performance is fueled by the skillful interplay between Ag Alhabib and fellow guitarists Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and Elaga Ag Hamid. At times, the musical tone amplifies and righteously channels the band’s protest history – at only four-years-old, Ag Alhabib witnessed his Tuareg rebel father executed during an uprising. Here, the assembled crowd takes a cue from the more intense peaks in the music, beginning to clap along, which generates a kind of communal metronome as well as a spirit of solidarity. A beautiful experience. Philip Mlynar

Notes:

Performed Bouffes du Nord Theatre

Title from resource description page (viewed July 15, 2024).