TINARIWEN
MALI
Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Their popularity rose internationally with the release of the critically acclaimed Aman Iman in 2007.
THOM YORKE (RADIOHEAD):
“THE CLOCK WAS TOTALLY TAKEN FROM THIS WEIRD ‘ARABIAN FESTIVAL IN THE DESERT’ THAT ROBERT PLANT DID. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TRACKS WHERE THESE GUITAR PLAYERS FROM MALI PLAY THESE AMAZING RIFFS. SO I COPIED THEIR STYLE AND IMPROVISED FOR 10 MINUTES AND THEN JUST RANDOMLY RECORDED BITS UNTIL I CAPTURED SOMETHING OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING.” (MOJO MAGAZINE, UK)
DAMON ALBARN:
“THEY WERE PROPER REBELS, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO ADVERTISE A PROBLEM TO THE WORLD : THROUGH MUSIC. YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORDS TO HEAR SOMETHING DEEPER IN IT. IT’S THE MOOD THAT SAYS IT ALL.” (Q MAGAZINE, UK)
CARLOS SANTANA:
“TO SHARE THIS STAGE WITH TINARIWEN IS A REAL JOY BECAUSE WHEN I HEAR THEM I HEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE MUSIC OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND OF MUDDY WATERS, JEFF BECK, BB KING, LITTLE WALTER, OTIS RUSH, BUDDY GUY... THIS IS WHERE IT ALL COMES FROM, THEY ARE THE ORIGINATORS.” (ON STAGE AT THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2006)
ROBERT PLANT:
“LISTENING TO TINARIWEN IS LIKE DROPPING A BUCKET INTO A DEEP WELL.”
BONO (U2):
“I REALLY APPRECIATED THEM. THEY COME FROM A HARD PLACE. IT’S VERY DIFFERENT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SINGING FOR THEIR LIFE, RATHER THAN JUST TO EAT. IT’S REALLY THE EDGE WHO INTRODUCED ME TO THIS MUSIC. IT’S TRUE THAT THIS KIND OF MUSIC IS LIKE A BREATH, THAT I CAN FEEL. IT’S THE DISCOVERY OF NEW SOUNDS, NEW HARMONIES. WE’RE TRYING TO GET INSPIRED, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT. WE DON’T WANT TO END UP BEING TOURISTS.”
2012: GRAMMY AWARD
Tassili - BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
2012: SONGLINES MUSIC AWARD
Tassili – BEST GROUP
2009: UNCUT MUSIC AWARD
Imidiwan – ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2008: PRAETORIUS MUSIC PRIZE
2005: BBC AWARD FOR WORLD MUSIC
“THE CLOCK WAS TOTALLY TAKEN FROM THIS WEIRD ‘ARABIAN FESTIVAL IN THE DESERT’ THAT ROBERT PLANT DID. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TRACKS WHERE THESE GUITAR PLAYERS FROM MALI PLAY THESE AMAZING RIFFS. SO I COPIED THEIR STYLE AND IMPROVISED FOR 10 MINUTES AND THEN JUST RANDOMLY RECORDED BITS UNTIL I CAPTURED SOMETHING OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING.” (MOJO MAGAZINE, UK)
DAMON ALBARN:
“THEY WERE PROPER REBELS, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO ADVERTISE A PROBLEM TO THE WORLD : THROUGH MUSIC. YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORDS TO HEAR SOMETHING DEEPER IN IT. IT’S THE MOOD THAT SAYS IT ALL.” (Q MAGAZINE, UK)
CARLOS SANTANA:
“TO SHARE THIS STAGE WITH TINARIWEN IS A REAL JOY BECAUSE WHEN I HEAR THEM I HEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE MUSIC OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND OF MUDDY WATERS, JEFF BECK, BB KING, LITTLE WALTER, OTIS RUSH, BUDDY GUY... THIS IS WHERE IT ALL COMES FROM, THEY ARE THE ORIGINATORS.” (ON STAGE AT THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2006)
ROBERT PLANT:
“LISTENING TO TINARIWEN IS LIKE DROPPING A BUCKET INTO A DEEP WELL.”
BONO (U2):
“I REALLY APPRECIATED THEM. THEY COME FROM A HARD PLACE. IT’S VERY DIFFERENT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SINGING FOR THEIR LIFE, RATHER THAN JUST TO EAT. IT’S REALLY THE EDGE WHO INTRODUCED ME TO THIS MUSIC. IT’S TRUE THAT THIS KIND OF MUSIC IS LIKE A BREATH, THAT I CAN FEEL. IT’S THE DISCOVERY OF NEW SOUNDS, NEW HARMONIES. WE’RE TRYING TO GET INSPIRED, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT. WE DON’T WANT TO END UP BEING TOURISTS.”
2012: GRAMMY AWARD
Tassili - BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
2012: SONGLINES MUSIC AWARD
Tassili – BEST GROUP
2009: UNCUT MUSIC AWARD
Imidiwan – ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2008: PRAETORIUS MUSIC PRIZE
2005: BBC AWARD FOR WORLD MUSIC
