Tinariwen Puts Their Lives On The Line For Their Music

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 27, 2012 3:00PM

Photo credit: Marie Planeille

The Malian musicians who make up the band Tinariwen are no strangers to conflict. This is a band that formed in 1979 in Libyan refugee camps and continued a nomadic existence until Mali became a multi-party, democratic state in 1991.

Today, Tinariwen once again finds themselves exiled from their homeland. A military coup in March led to the suspension of the nation’s constitution and Mali's government dissolved. Islamist extremists, meanwhile, have taken control of the northern part of the country and declared a religious war on music. Music and culture is regarded in Mali on the level other nations hold mineral resources. One of the main zealots to overtake the region, Iyad Ag Ghaly, used to write poetry and hang out with Tinariwen.

Mali’s (hopefully temporary) loss is the Western world’s gain as Tinariwen has maintained a busy touring schedule. The band’s music has roots in the assouf guitar style common among the Tuareg tribe of northern Mali, with references to northern and West African musical styles as Algerian Berber and rai, and they were heavily influenced by musicians that came before them like the legendary Ali Farka Toure. Tinariwen’s simple, trancelike rhythms, haunting vocals and lilting guitar lines have also drawn parallels to American blues music among listeners.

Over the past 11 years Tinariwen has developed a sizeable international following with their Chicago concerts frequently selling out. This makes it all the more surprising to find that tickets are still available for the group’s 9 p.m. show Oct. 28 at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Fans of the group or music buffs interested in something new to their ears should check them out. Tickets are available here.