PUBLICITÉ

PHOTOS

Sahel

VIDEO

Afel Bocoum & Alkibar - WOMEX 2006, Sevilla - October 2006

Music from the Sahara: the sound of the desert

The desert on the move

A semi-desert zone ravaged by drought – five years of drought in every twenty according to tradition – the Sahara covers several countries, including Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad. As the drought recurs, the desert advances, gradually replacing ancient forests. This phenomenon has been exacerbated by the dominance of monocultural agriculture, imposed by colonialism, which has led to the impoverishment and erosion of the soil. From the Maghreb to black Africa, the Sahara is inhabited by nomads and sedentary communities. Among the nomads, there are the Tamasheks (Touaregs) Tinariwen, who fuse traditional poetry with electric guitars, and the all-women group Tartit. Other nomadic people, the Woodabés from Chad practice polyphonic singing solely accompanied by hand claps.

The Touareg blues of Tinariwen has conquered the world

The Iggawin, griots of the Sahara

In Mauritania, the Iggawin have long played a similar role to the griots of West Africa - historians, musicians and poets, singing about the exploits of warriors past and present, carriers of the history of their people. In contrast to the griots, where the traditional social position was elevated, the Iggawin are placed right at the bottom of the social scale, quasi–pariahs in a very hierarchical society. Various instruments accompany their singing, such as the tidinit, the 4 stringed lute played only by men, the ardin, a kind of inverted kora, played by women. The tbal drum is the principal percussion instrument.

Over the years, the ancestral role of the Iggawin was re-aligned, and the singer-historians became artists. Among the women, the most well known are the griots Ouleyya Mint, Amar Tichit and Aïcha Mint Chighaly. Dimi Mint Abba was the first Mauritanian woman to reveal her talent beyond the Sahara. She is now recognized as one of the greatest voices of the Muslim world. Tahra and Malouma, descendants of long Iggawan lineages, incorporated various other musical styles along with the traditional forms. Malouma is inspired by the blues, and Tahra doesn’t shy away from using synthesizers. Daby Touré, whose sound is similar to that of Touré Kunda, plays seductive modernized folk songs.

"E'mma" – global success for Touré Kunda

Mali Blues

Hearing the guitar playing of Sahara star Ali Farka Touré, you would think he was from the Mississippi Delta, rather than the north of Mali. His collaborations with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder enabled him to reach a huge audience worldwide.

An encounter with Malian blues master Ali Farka Touré

Afel Bocoum, Ali Farka Toure’s disciple, has followed in the footsteps of his master since his adolescence, and composed the song Dofana for him, one of the most beautiful songs in his repertoire. A fellow Malian, Ibrahim Hamma Dicko, has remained loyal to a certain classic style. A prolific composer, a chronicler of everyday Malian Sahara life, he sings to the accompaniment of calabash and traditional violin. A unique character, Boubacar Traoré’s life echoed that of American bluesmen: popular success in the 1960s, followed by a period in which he stopped playing music, and then a come-back in the 1990s with all the authority and grace of a patriarch. Among the new generation, Lobi Traoré, Issa Bagayogo and Habib Koité are outstanding artists.

Boubacar Traoré and Ali Farka Touré play "Diarabi" in Jacques Sarasin’s film about the life of Boubabcar Traoré - Je Chanterai Pour Toi

Niger, the end of silence

Deeply Islamic, Niger only accepted music as a form of public entertainment at the end of the 1980s. By then the diverse ethnic communities there had absorbed the styles and repertoires of their neighbours. Mamar Kassey, Saadou Bori and Moussa Pousy are among the artists who emerged during this renaissance. Mamar Kassey presents a fusion of tradition – Komsa lute, calabash and kalnagu – and modernity – drum kit, electric guitar and bass. Saadou Bori and Moussa Pousy, both from prestigious lineages of spiritual masters, have incorporated contemporary influences, in particular reggae, to their music, without ever losing sight of their roots.

The exceptions in Chad

The open or latent civil war which has ravaged Chad since its independence in 1960 has not helped the development of local music, or its diffusion in Africa or worldwide. A rare exception in this semi-desert: Clément Masdongar. Living in France, and influenced by rock, he nevertheless remains loyal to his language, Arab Choa. Also based in France, Ingamadji Mujos, is inspired by the traditional dala rhythm, from southern Chad, while Kaar Kas Sonn is influenced by hip hop and French chanson from Brassens to Gainsbourg.

A clip from the acclaimed feature film Daratt (Dry Season) - a tale of revenge and redemption set in post-war Chad – directed by Mahamat Saleh Haroun

Comments  

// ALSO

• Music from the Sahara
• Rokia Traoré
• Ali Farka Touré
• Music from the Sahara, The Festival in the Desert - Essakane, Mali (8-10 January 2009)
• Music from the Sahara, Playlist
• Toumani Diabaté, Toumani Diabaté - My mission is to play
• ‘Ali and Toumani’ to be released in February 2010
• New Awards for World Music
• WOMAD at the TOWER OF LONDON 19 & 20 September 2009 - win tickets!



---




// POST A COMMENT





Nickname *


Your comment (2000 char. max) *


Security code   





---


>> comment it on the forum>>