For nearly 50 years now, Tinariwen have been honing their guitar-driven sound among a broader framework of Tuareg music, the name given to the psychedelic-blues genre they helped establish in the 1980s in North Africa. By the 21st century their music had become a global phenomenon, with ANTI- Records releasing 2011’s Tassili LP in the US to help the band gain a foothold here, even paving the way for younger acts like Mdou Moctar to find success far from their native Niger.
With their latest record, Hoggar, Tinariwen aim to pay homage to their earliest chapters as a band, as well as to the sparse desert landscapes that shaped their sound—namely the Saharan mountain chain the record takes its name from—while cashing in on the clout they’ve accumulated along their long and arduous journey. Now releasing music via their own label, Wedge, the collection notably features contributions from longtime listener and first-time collaborator José Gonzalez on one track, in addition to a broader list of musicians sourced from the group’s own community.
With the record arriving this Friday, Tinariwen shared with us a slight variation on our “Perfect Day” series that doesn’t see them hitting up local bookstores and coffee shops, but rather keeping busy in the desert between jamming and recording. Check out their incredible landscape shots of tea time, heated dominos matches, lots of chilling, and even a bit of flexing below.
Camping
Camp is set up in the Hoggar, where rehearsal and daily life blur into one.
Chilling
In the downtime between sessions, the band sits back, unhurried, conversation moving as freely as the wind.
Playing
A groove takes shape in the air, guitars answering one another in steady cycles.
Recording
Inside Aboogi Studio, the focus narrows. The room holds every nuance.
Tea time
Tea is poured in slow rounds, a ritual as essential as tuning.
Playing dominos on a jerrican
A jerrican becomes a game table. Domino tiles click sharply against the metal.
Chilling (II)
Afternoon light stretches long as the band drifts between rest and rehearsal.
Dominos and tea
Dominos and tea continue beneath the vast silence of the Hoggar, time measured in small gestures.
Flexing
The band stands together in front of their 4x4, a quiet presence against the desert backdrop.
Ibrahim, firecamp
As night shapes the desert, a fire burns somewhere, and Ibrahim Ag Alhabib sits with the moonlight on his back.
