Desert blues
Tishoumaren (ⵜⵉⵛⵓⵎⴰⵔⴻⵏ in Neo-Tifinagh script) or assouf,[1] internationally known as desert blues, is a style of music from the Sahara region of northern and west Africa. Critics describe the music as a fusion of blues and rock music with Tuareg, Malian or North African music.[2] Various other terms are used to describe it[1] including desert rock, Saharan rock,[3] Takamba,[2] Mali blues,[4] Tuareg rock[5] or simply "guitar music".[6] The style has been pioneered by Tuareg musicians in the Sahara region, particularly in Mali, Niger, Libya, Western Sahara, Algeria, Burkina Faso and others.[7]
Desert blues
- Saharan rock
- Mali blues
- Tuareg rock
From 1980s to 1990s, Tuareg people in North Africa, West Africa and Sahara regions
The musical style took shape as an expression of the culture of the traditionally nomadic Tuareg people, amid their difficult sociopolitical situation, including rebellions, widespread displacement and exile in post-colonial Africa.[7] The word Tishoumaren is derived from the French word chômeur, meaning "the unemployed".[1]
The genre was first pioneered by and popularized outside of Africa by Ali Farka Touré and later Tinariwen. In recent years, artists like Mdou Moctar and Bombino have continued to adapt Saharan rock music and have achieved international success.[8][2][3][9][7]
Ishumar[edit]
The music of the young, uprooted men who often wandered from town to town was guitar-driven, first acoustic and then electric. These were the men referred to as ishumar, a term derived from the French word chômeur, a term for an unemployed person.[11] The originators of the musical genre were Tinariwen, a group of musicians within camps sponsored by Gaddafi who formed their group in 1979.[1] Tinariwen was the first Tamasheq group to feature electric guitars; they are considered the originator of the style. During rebellion against the government of Mali, Tinariwen's music was spread via audio cassette through the camps. In the early 1990s the group began to gain wider exposure through association with the French band Lo'jo.[12] Additional distribution methods, particularly mp3s on mobile phones,[13] and music festivals like Festival au Désert, aided in increasing the styles popularity during the 2000s and 2010s.[14]
Musical style[edit]
The style mixes electric blues with Middle Eastern and African sounds.[15]
Songs are generally sung in Tamasheq language.[10][16] Lyrics have been described as being rooted in traditional Tuareg poetry, with topics including rebellion, war and beauty, and often mention the Sahara desert itself.[1] Homesickness and longing for maintaining Tuareg traditions in the face of exile is also explored.[3][16]
Musically, the tende drum and three-stringed teherdent Malian lute are the roots of the style. Chaabi music of the Maghreb is another influence.[1] Many Saharan rock musicians have cited Jimi Hendrix as a key influence, including Mdou Moctar, who has been described as the "Hendrix of the Sahara".[16][17]
In recent years, some artists have further adapted the sound to introduce more typical Western rock instrumentation, such as replacing traditional percussion with drum kits. The energetic music of Songhoy Blues, Mdou Moctar, Amadou & Mariam, and Bab L' Bluz has subsequently been labelled as desert punk and psychedelic rock.[18][19][20]
Also several fusion albums such as The West African Blues Project by Touré Kunda vocalist Modou Toure and British blues guitarist Ramon Goose has provided further exploration mixing western style blues with indigenous music from the Sahara and Sub Saharan regions.