Tinariwen, Roundhouse

Desert blues ensemble Tinariwen to play Roundhouse on November 16

Tinariwen describe their story as the “stuff of legends”, and rightly so. The band formed in the 1980s: a group of Taureg exiles living in Libya, seeking a new start away from their Saharan homeland. Since then,they’ve released six critically acclaimed albums, and travelled the world bringing their desert blues to an international audience.

Their sound takes traditional Taureg music at its starting point, and retains its distinctive melodies and rhythms, as well as its poetic lyricism. Yet, it also draws influences from further afield, borrowing in particular from American blues and rock music. In their early years, the band stumbled across recordings by Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Dire Straits. Playing electric guitar through battery-powered amplifiers, they mixed the sounds that they learnt from these Western musicians with the music to which they’d listened in their youth. The result is an intoxicating blend of electric blues grooves, pulsing hand drums, and strong, yearning vocals

With each album, Tinariwen’s sound has progressed. Their most recent release Emmaar is no exception; it was recorded in the Californian desert and sees the band collaborating with American artists from fiddler Fats Kaplin to poet Saul Williams.

Tinariwen have the remarkable ability to blend tradition and experiment; they are enthralling and unique. Tickets are now available for their performance at Camden’s Roundhouse on November 16; don't miss out.