Tinariwen
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Tinariwen (Tamashek for empty places') is a musical band formed in 1982 in Moammar al-Qadhafi's camps of Tuareg rebels. They play French- and Tamashek-lyrics songs in the Tishoumaren ('music of the unemployed') style, mostly concerning independence for their people from the government of Mali. They are said to be the first Tuareg band to use electric guitars.
Tinariwen is composed of:
- Ibrahim - guitarist, vocalist
- Kiddou - guitarist, vocalist
- Mohammed "Japonais" - guitarist, vocalist
- Foy Foy - guitarist, vocalist
- Abdallah - guitarist, bassist, vocalist
- Hassan - guitarist, percussionist, vocalist
- Seyid - percussionist
- Nina - chorus vocalist
- Anini - chorus vocalist
- Bogness - chorus vocalist
Having recorded many albums available on cassette over their eighteen years, in December 2000 the group recorded their first album for the CD format, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, their first recording available outside of Africa.
The Western world first took great notice of Tinariwen due to their performance at Le Festival au Désert, a musical festival held in Tin-Essako, Mali, a remote region of the Sahara Desert, in January of 2001.
The band released a second album, Amassakoul ("Traveller") in 2004, and played concerts in Europe and the United States to support the album.