Desert blues

Desert blues is a style of music from the Sahara region of northern and west Africa. Critics describe the music as a fusion of blues and rock music with Malian, Berber or North African music.[1] Various terms are used to describe it,[2] including Tishoumaren (spelled variously also as Tishumaren, Tichoumaren, or Tichumaren, ⵜⵉⵛⵓⵎⴰⵔⴻⵏ in Neo-Tifinagh script), assouf,[1] desert rock, Saharan rock,[3] takamba,[1] Mali blues[4] and Tuareg rock.[5] The style has been pioneered by Tuareg musicians in the Sahara region, particularly in Mali, Niger, Libya, Western Sahara, Algeria, Burkina Faso and others.[6]

Desert blues
Tuareg desert rock band Tinariwen performing in Nuremberg in 2010
Native name
Tishoumaren
Assouf
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsTuareg people in North Africa, West Africa and Sahara regions during the 1980s-1990s
Local scenes

The musical style took shape as an expression of the difficult sociopolitical situation of the Tamasheq people (or Tuareg, as they are commonly referred to) after the decolonisation of Africa.[6] The word Tishoumaren is derived from the French word chômeur, meaning "the unemployed". Sometimes simply called "guitar music,"[7] the style takes inspiration from the emergence of the Tamasheq as a people and a culture amidst violent turmoil in post-colonial North Africa.

The genre was first popularized outside of Africa by Ali Farka Touré, and more recently artists like Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar and Bombino have also had international success.[8][1][3][9][6]

Historical background
Further information: Tuareg people and Tuareg rebellions

The Tamasheq live in a region of North Africa that covers large portions of the Sahara across the modern-day national boundaries of Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, and Chad, and to a lesser extent, reaching into Burkina Faso and Nigeria. At the turn of the 20th century, the Tamasheq were subjected to the French colonial government after lengthy resistance. With the departure of colonial powers in the 1950s and 1960s, the lands inhabited by the Tamasheq were split primarily between the four new countries of Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, and Chad. For the next few decades, natural resources diminished due to increasing desertification while the post-colonial political and economic structures struggled. As a result, the Tamasheq have encountered hardship for survival in a number of ways.

In 1973, a major drought forced many of the Tamasheq people throughout the deserts to reconsider their traditional way of life as nomadic herders. Many took refuge in urban centers across the region, but with many lacking 'formal' education, the Tamasheq were largely unemployed. The term ishumar began to be used describing young Tamasheq. A unique culture began to arise among many of the economically and politically marginalized youths, sometimes rebellious or revolutionary in nature, reasserting a cultural pride.

Many young men, including future members of Tinariwen, took employment in a Tamasheq military unit being assembled by Libyan military leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.[10] Besides receiving military training and weapons in the Gaddafi-sponsored camps, many of the young Tamasheq men were also exposed to revolutionary ideas, pan-Africanism, and popular music. In the decades to follow, the Tamasheq were involved in extended episodes of violence and rebellion against the various governments in the region, both as victim and perpetrator. The stories of socio-political unrest have been relayed through music, contributing to and partially shaping the Tamasheq people's culture and ideals.

Ishumar

The music of the young, uprooted men who often wandered from town to town was guitar-driven, first acoustic and then electric. These were the men referred to as ishumar, a term derived from the French word chômeur, a derogatory term for an unemployed person.[11] The originators of the musical genre were Tinariwen, a group of musicians within camps sponsored by Gaddafi who formed their group in 1979.[2] Tinariwen was the first Tamasheq group to feature electric guitars; they are considered the originator of the style. During rebellion against the government of Mali, Tinariwen's music was spread via audio cassette through the camps. In the early 1990s the group began to gain wider exposure through association with the French band Lo'jo. Additional distribution methods and festivals aided in increasing the styles popularity. As a result, other bands began to incorporate the style.

Musical style

The style mixes electric blues with Middle Eastern and African sounds.[12]

Songs are generally sung in Tamasheq language.[10][13] Lyrics have been described as being rooted in traditional Tuareg poetry, with topics including rebellion, war and beauty, and often mention the Sahara desert itself.[2] Homesickness and longing for maintaining Tuareg traditions in the face of exile is also explored.[3][13]

Musically, the tende drum and three-stringed teherdent Malian lute are the roots of the style. Chaabi music of the Maghreb is another influence.[2] Many Saharan rock musicians have cited Jimi Hendrix as a key influence, including Mdou Moctar, who has been described as the "Hendrix of the Sahara".[13]

Notable artists

See also

References
  1. J. D. (11 April 2019). "The virtuosity of Mdou Moctar, the "Jimi Hendrix of the Desert"". The Economist. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  2. Morgan, Andy (10 January 2014). "Songs of exile and resistance: Through their music and poetry, the Tuareg share their inner-battles and wider struggles with the world". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 February 2020. This new style of music - assouf, guitare, al gitara, teshumara, desert blues, Tuareg rock - call it what you will
  3. Pareles, Jon (2010-02-19). "Hot Breath of Saharan Rock Blows in From Africa (Published 2010)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  4. Kenny, Glenn (2017-06-29). "Review: 'Mali Blues,' Making Music in the Face of Jihadists (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  5. Morgan, Andy (9 June 2016). "Meet Kel Assouf and Imarhan, the new wave of Tuareg rock". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  6. "Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  7. Rasmussen, Susan J. (7 April 2019). "Between Several Worlds: Images of Youth and Age in Tuareg Popular Performances". Anthropological Quarterly. 73 (3): 133–144. doi:10.1353/anq.2000.0007. JSTOR 3317938.
  8. The Rough Guide to Desert Blues - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-03
  9. Rubin, Mike (2018-05-17). "How Bombino Became the Sultan of Shred (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  10. Rosen, Jody (2007-05-31). "Is Tinariwen the greatest band on earth?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  11. Morgan, Andy. "Songs of exile and resistance". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  12. "Saharan musicians win Uncut award". 9 November 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  13. "'We are modern slaves': Mdou Moctar, the Hendrix of the Sahara". the Guardian. 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
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