Behind the Lens

MUSIC
MUSIC
Tinariwen
Live in Paris
Anti-, 2LP or CD
A
bout 15 years ago, Tinariwen showed the world how much life
and community can thrive in an environment that seemed merely
isolated. The band, comprised of Saharan Tuaregs, used its
songs to describe life in the desert and struggling through war
and exile in Mali, Algeria, and Libya. These messages have
been delivered through the fierce guitar lines of such players
as Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, who
transformed the sound of indigenous northwest African strings
with electric instruments obtained in refugee camps. Since
Tinariwen began recording and touring internationally, Niger’s
Bombino and the Malian band Terakaft have also brought
their versions of modern Tuareg music to global stages. But
on Live in Paris, the primary rockers reaffirm they are still
setting the pace for this movement.
Part of Tinariwen’s artistic
strength comes from its ability to
collaborate with a range of musicians
while retaining its own strong
identity. This spirit highlights 2011’s
Tassili on which outside contributors—including
the Dirty Dozen
Brass Band, Wilco guitarist Nels
Cline, and members of TV on the
Radio—sound like they comfortably
fit in at a Saharan campfire.
On Live in Paris, Tinariwen turns
toward its origins. The featured
guest is singer Lalla Badi, a mentor
to the group for more than 40
years.
Now in her mid-70s, Badi remains
a revered singer of tindé,
a form of Tuareg musical poetry
that emphasizes women performers
and the small drum of the
same name. Undoubtedly, her
life experiences have made her
tougher than any forbidding climate.
Such determination comes
across in her forceful vocal delivery.
She’s all attitude on the
opening “Tinde Tinariwen,” rhythmically
spitting out verses on top
of light percussion as the band
sings elongated single-note lines
behind her.
When Tinariwen unleashes
its guitars, the overall sound is
sharper on Live in Paris than that
of earlier albums. The version of
“Tamatant Tiley” here features intense,
quiet distortion compared
to that of the reading on 2007’s
Aman Iman. During other parts
of the concert recording, such as
“Koudedazamin” and “Azawad,”
the guitarists’ infectious groove
becomes relaxed and spacious
enough to make Keith Richards
seem hyperactive. They also deliver
stunning tempo shifts, such
as on the driving “Chaghaybou”
and “Toumast Tincha.” In addition,
Tinariwen still stands out among
the current wave of its home region’s
musicians via lyrical calland-response
vocals, especially
on “Tamiditin,” where mellifluous
voices contrast with the guitars’
clipped punctuation.
Live in Paris concludes with
another take on “Tinde Tinariwen.”
Badi returns to sing in an incantatory
mode. No lyric sheet translation
is needed to declare the message:
This group of fighters is in it
for the long haul. —Aaron Cohen
28 TONE AUDIO NO.75
November 2015 29