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214 CHAPTER 5guitar music, the takamba of the aggiwin, Maghrebi raï and chaabi, the virtuoussolos of Jimmy Hendrix and the simple clear chord schemes of Dire Straits. Alguitaradeveloped into an original sound reflecting a Saharan globalisation andcosmopolitanism from below that now influences and inspires rock bands fromthe northern Atlantic, as Tinariwen and bands of former Tinariwen foundingmembers, such as Keddu ag Ossad’s band Terakaft, tour the internationalstages, with their hit CDs available in your record store. However, the soundthat gained them their international reputation long after the rebellion theyannounced was over remained long subordinate to their message of reflectionon Tamasheq existence. It developed from a ‘bluesy’ perspective on misery intoa call for active revolution to all the Kel Tamasheq. The first known song datesfrom 1978. It reflects the misery of Tamasheq existence:The world changes, we sit in ruins 54But slowly the message changed from one of despair to one of hope for a betterfuture through common action:We pull up our trousers and fasten our belts,we no longer accept the mistreatment we have endured 55In the coming decades, the music from the band Tinariwen or its individualmembers would accompany all major stages of the Teshumara and Tanekraresistance movement. But Tinariwen had no monopoly on poetical expression.It is open to all members of Tamasheq society. Those who are gifted for poetryonly gain more renown. All major concepts of the Teshumara and, more important,the Tanekra movement were expressed in poetry by some of its mainparticipants. The lyrics of the Teshumara poets and songwriters, sometimes performedby Tinariwen in their name, described the position of the Kel Tamasheqin their world created by the rise of the African independent state, man-madeecological disaster, and globalising culture, as well as the rebellion and itsvarious stages.Alternatives to the TeshumaraIt should be strongly emphasised that the Teshumara was not uniform, and notthe only alternative to pastoral nomad existence the Kel Tamasheq had. I willhere deal with some of the aspects of Teshumara diversity and with alternativesto Teshumara existence, notably the path of formal education. Then again, the5455Part of a poem by Kel Hoggar poet Khaffi ag Hanni in Tamasheq transcription andwith French translation. In: Bellil, R. & B. Dida 1993: 108.Part of a poem by Cheick ag Aoussa, 1983. Klute, 2001, op. cit., poem 7. Cheick agAoussa would become one of the most influential leaders of the Tanekra movement.