Tinariwen – Amadjar [CD]

Description

Amadjar means the unknown visitor in the language of Tamashek, the one who seeks hospitality and whos condemned to an inner exile, within a territory or within himself. The story of Amadjar, the ninth Tinariwen album, begins at the end of 2018, at the Taragalte Festival of nomadic cultures in the Moroccan Sahara. After a concert and a sandstorm, Tinariwen hit the road and head for Mauritania, via southern Morocco, Western Sahara and the Atlantic coast. The destination is important but no more so than the journey itself. Tinariwen are joined by their French production team, who arrive in old camper van thats been converted into a makeshift studio. The journey to Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania, takes a dozen days or so. Every evening, the caravan stops to set up camp and the members of Tinariwen get to work under the stars to prepare for the recording, talking things through, letting their guitar motifs, thoughts and long buried songs come. Then, during a final camp in the desert around Nouakchott that lasts about fifteen days, to an audience of scorpions, the band record their songs under large tent. In a few takes, without headphones or effects. The Mauritanian griotte Noura Mint Seymali and her guitarist husband, Jeiche Ould Chigaly, come to throw their musical tradition on the embers lit by Tinariwen the curling vocals of Noura Mint Seymali on the song Amalouna will become a highlight. This nomadic album, recorded in a natural setting, is as close as you can get to Tinariwen. And also, therefore, to the idea that things can evolve: bassist Eyadou plays a lot of acoustic guitar; percussionist Said tries his hand at new instruments; Abdallah exhumes songs that hes never played on stage with Tinariwen. And that violin that appears on several songs and reminds you of the traditional imzad ; Its actually played by Warren Ellis. The violinist in Nick Caves band is one of several western guests on the album. We also hear the mandolin and charango of Micah Nelson (son of the country music giant Willie Nelson, and Neil Youngs guitarist), and the guitars of Stephen OMalley (Sunn O)))), Cass McCombs and Rodolphe Burger. The album is mixed by Joshua Vance Smith.

Tracklist:

1. Tenere Maloulat (feat. Warren Ellis)
2. Zawal (feat. Warren Ellis, Noura Mint Seymali & Jeiche Ould Chighaly)
3. Amalouna (feat. Noura Mint Seymali & Stephen O’Malley)
4. Taqkal Tarha (feat. Micah Nelson)
5. Anina
6. Madjam Mahilkamen
7. Takount (feat. Noura Mint Seymali)
8. Iklam Dglour (feat. Warren Ellis & Rodolphe Burger)
9. Kel Tinawen (feat. Cass McCombs)
10. Itous Ohar (feat. Cass McCombs)
11. Mhadjar Yassouf Idjan (feat. Warren Ellis)
12. Wartilla (feat. Warren Ellis & Stephen O’Malley)
13. Lalla

UPC: 045778770328
Label: Anti
Release Date: 9.6.19
Format: CD