Imidiwan: Companions

Imidiwan: Companions, released 29 June 2009, is the fourth studio album by Tuareg band Tinariwen. The album saw the band reunite with Jean-Paul Romann, the producer of their 2001 album The Radio Tisdas Sessions.[7] Some editions of the album include a DVD featuring a 30-minute documentary about the band.[1]

Imidiwan: Companions
Studio album by
Tinariwen
ReleasedJune 29, 2009
GenreTishoumaren, Blues, Folk, World
LabelIndependiente
Tinariwen chronology
Aman Iman
(2007)		 Imidiwan: Companions
(2009)		 Tassili
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
PopMatters [2]
Pitchfork Media(7.6/10) [3]
Rockfeedback [4]
The Guardian [5]
SPIN Magazine[6]

Themes

Joe Tangari of Pitchfork discussed how the band experienced much of the world outside the desert and how it has influenced the new direction of this album.[8] He said "lyrically the songs, sung in Tamashek, visit themes of liberation and cultural-historical pride".[8] Later he stated that it contains assuf "an untranslatable word with implications of homesickness, loneliness, and sadness; it also refers to the nighttime world beyond the light of the campfire."[8]

Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews. The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Tinariwen just keep on keepin' on, relentless and brilliant as the Saharan sun."[5] The Daily Telegraph also gave the album 4 stars, saying that the band are "...the nearest thing the modern world provides to a real blues feel." [9]

Imidiwan also won the 2009 Uncut Music Award for being "the most inspiring and richly rewarding album of the last 12 months".[10]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Imidiwan Afrik Tendam"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib3:32
2."Lulla"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib3:49
3."Tenhert"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni5:28
4."Enseqi Ehad Didagh"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib5:40
5."Tahult In"Alhassane Ag Touhami4:10
6."Tamudjeras Assis"Mohammed Ag Itlale ("Japonais")4:51
7."Intitlayaghen"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni4:49
8."Imazaghen N Adagh"Abdallah Ag Lamida ("Intidao")3:46
9."Tenalle Chegret"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib5:43
10."Kel Tamashek"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni3:16
11."Assuf Ag Assuf"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib4:54
12."Chabiba"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib3:21
13."Ere Tasfata Adounia"Alhassane Ag Touhami4:53
14."Desert Wind"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib4:19

Note: "Desert Wind," an instrumental, was included as a bonus track in some editions of the album.

Personnel

All information from album liner notes.[11]

  • Ibrahim Ag Alhabib – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 12), backing vocals (track 10), other instruments (track 14)
  • Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 3, 7, 10)
  • Alhassane Ag Touhami – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 5, 13), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 12)
  • Mohammed Ag Itlale ("Japonais") – lead vocals and lead guitar (track 6), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4)
  • Abdallah Ag Lamida ("Intidao") – lead vocals and lead guitar (track 8), guitar (tracks 1, 3, 12), backing vocals (tracks 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13)
  • Eyadou Ag Leche – bass (all tracks except 10, 11, 14), guitar (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 13), backing vocals (tracks 5, 6, 8, 9, 13), percussion (tracks 3, 6, 7, 8, 13)
  • Elaga Ag Hamid – guitar (all tracks except 7, 10, 14), backing vocals (tracks 1, 13), percussion (track 5)
  • Said Ag Ayad – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13)
  • Liya Ag Ablil ("Diara") – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 13)
  • Sanou Ag Ahmed – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 12), guitar (tracks 8, 12), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Fatma – percussion (track 1), backing vocals (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
  • Mohammed – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13), backing vocals (track 12)
  • Matthieu Rousseau – percussion (all tracks except 8, 10, 14)
  • Tende of Tessalit – percussion (track 10)
  • Wounou Walet Sidati – backing vocals (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
  • Dayasso – backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 12)
  • Aroun – backing vocals (tracks 1, 9)
  • Baka – backing vocals (track 2)
  • Moustapha – backing vocals (track 2)
  • Abdallah – backing vocals (track 2)
  • Ousman, Al Hassan, Fatimata – children's vocals (track 1)

References
  1. Imidiwan: Companions at AllMusic
  2. PopMatters review
  3. Pitchfork review
  4. Rockfeedback review
  5. Thomson, Graeme (2009-06-14). "World music review: Tinariwen, Imidiwan". The Guardian. London.
  6. "SPIN Magazine review".
  7. "Music - Review of Tinariwen - Imidiwan: Companions". BBC. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  8. Tangari, Joe. "Pitchfork Overview". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  9. Hudson, Mark (2009-06-25). "Tinariwen: Imidiwan Companions, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  10. "Saharan musicians win Uncut award". BBC News. 2009-11-09.
  11. Tinariwen (2009). Liner notes: Imidiwan: Companions.
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