Poet-guitarists and soul rebels from the Sahara, with almost mythical stories of guns and guitars, rebellion, Ghadaffi and the real Saharan blues.
Over the past seven years, the group have played over 700 concerts in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. Their name has graced the bills of most of the world’s premier rock and world music festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, Roskilde, Paleo, Les Vieilles Charrues, WOMAD and Printemps de Bourges. Their 2004 CD ‘Amassakoul’ (“The Traveller’) and its follow-up in 2007 ‘Aman Iman’ (”Water Is Life”), have established them as one of the most popular and best selling African groups on the planet.
When: July 12, 9pm
@ Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA
July 13, 8pm
@ Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Where: Belly Up
143 S. Cedros Ave
Solana Bea ... Go to event
“It’s world music that grabs and doesn’t let go. -The New York Times”
Western listeners have heard the ecstatic drone of the African rock known as desert blues — modal, one-chord songs driven by electric guitars, traditional instruments, hand claps and call-and-response vocals — from bands like Tinariwen and Etran Finatawa. But neither one has a singer like Khaira Arby, a Malian whose voice rings like a cry from the battlements. On “Timbuktu Tarab” (Clermont Music), her singing ricochets against eager backup choruses and lead-guitar lines that can hint at both Hendrix and Ali Farka Touré. Her band, mixing Western and African instruments, clearly knows its rock and reggae but keeps its African perspective, while a sinewy production flaunts every contrapuntal cascade. It’s world ... 
Western listeners have heard the ecstatic drone of the African rock known as desert blues — modal, one-chord songs driven by electric guitars, traditional instruments, hand claps and call-and-response vocals — from bands like Tinariwen and Etran Finatawa. But neither one has a singer like Khaira Arby, a Malian whose voice rings like a cry from the battlements. On “Timbuktu Tarab” (Clermont Music), her singing ricochets against eager backup choruses and lead-guitar lines that can hint at both Hendrix and Ali Farka Touré. Her band, mixing Western and African instruments, clearly knows its rock and reggae but keeps its African perspective, while a sinewy production flaunts every contrapuntal cascade. It’s world music that grabs and doesn’t let go. -The New York Times
When and Where:
July 22, ... 
Western listeners have heard the ecstatic drone of the African rock known as desert blues — modal, one-chord songs driven by electric guitars, traditional instruments, hand claps and call-and-response vocals — from bands like Tinariwen and Etran Finatawa. But neither one has a singer like Khaira Arby, a Malian whose voice rings like a cry from the battlements. On “Timbuktu Tarab” (Clermont Music), her singing ricochets against eager backup choruses and lead-guitar lines that can hint at both Hendrix and Ali Farka Touré. Her band, mixing Western and African instruments, clearly knows its rock and reggae but keeps its African perspective, while a sinewy production flaunts every contrapuntal cascade. It’s world music that grabs and doesn’t let go.
When and Where:
July 23
@ The due return @ C ... 
Western listeners have heard the ecstatic drone of the African rock known as desert blues — modal, one-chord songs driven by electric guitars, traditional instruments, hand claps and call-and-response vocals — from bands like Tinariwen and Etran Finatawa. But neither one has a singer like Khaira Arby, a Malian whose voice rings like a cry from the battlements. On “Timbuktu Tarab” (Clermont Music), her singing ricochets against eager backup choruses and lead-guitar lines that can hint at both Hendrix and Ali Farka Touré. Her band, mixing Western and African instruments, clearly knows its rock and reggae but keeps its African perspective, while a sinewy production flaunts every contrapuntal cascade. It’s world music that grabs and doesn’t let go.
When:
Schedule:
July 24
@ Underground music ... 
