Music from Mali: Tinariwen and Yoro Sidibe

Check out these two very disparate groups from Mali, one from the desert, the other from the jungle, both from completely different worlds that we barely realize exist...

Tinariwen are Touareg, a nomadic people from the desert region shared by Libya, Mali and Niger. They speak Tamasheq, one of (if not the) the oldest languages in the world (showcased in red on the album cover, here) and all their songs are in this tongue. I'd heard of them, and I was curious, and the other day in Zulu Records, Julia approached me with "Aman Iman" in her hands, excitment brimming. So we had to get it.

I didn't realize how popular they were. These dudes are from the middle of nowhere, as it were, and they've played gigs with Robert Plant, Santana (who hasn't Santana played with? That whore.), and played for Live8, that world-wide concert intent on raising money for Africa. Duh, of course they would play that show. They've been a band since 1979! Since I was a wee baby. The music is so great, rooted in blues and rock but with that desert drift and warmth that makes them impossible not to love! There's an amazing back story to the band and their founder, the man with the hair, and this video here is very educational about the music and its relation to Mali, blues and where the stories come from:


The other group from Mali I acquired is led by a man named Yoro Sidibe. There are many singers like him who lead chants for the donsos, the traditional hunters of Mali who live on the edge of society, shrouded in mystery near the jungles. I don't even think the ceremonies where these songs are performed are allowed to be video taped, but I guess audio recordings are fine by them. The songs about hunters are only to be heard by the donsos, who are encouraged by these boisterous and cyclical tribal hypno-songs (and their egos are also boosted as men like Yoro Sidibe sing about current hunters, as well as historical figures). The music is mesmerizing, dark and bright all at once highlighted by the intense vocals from our main man. Absolutely essential to know about music like this, and totally enjoyable to listen to. I couldn't find a video of Yoro Sidibe, but I did find a montage of some Mali hunter music that is very similar: