Desert Blues Playlist
The Sahara desert - a land of nomadic peoples - is the source of one of the most exciting movements in world music in recent history.With its cyclical connection to American blues, these blues have deep roots in the desert sand.
Ali Farka Toure is the modern godfather of the desert blues, and is credited with popularizing the genre.He was also incredibly knowledgeable about the oral traditions of African music, and became an invaluable resource for ethnomusicologists who were studying the roots and trajectory of what became the American blues."Savane" is from Toure's posthumously released album of the same name, and is one of the most beautiful tracks he ever recorded.Buy from Amazon »
Where Ali Farka Toure has found favor with ethnomusicologists and old-school world music fans, Tinariwen is popular among those who prefer their music a bit edgier.The members of Tinariwen met in Moammar al-Qhadafi's rebel training camps and, sharing a love of the music of their ancestors, as well as of John Lee Hooker and Bob Marley, formed a band.This track, Cler Achel, is the plaintive and polyrhythmic opener from their 2007 release Aman Iman: Water is Life.Buy from Amazon »
This gem is one that's likely been overlooked by a few too many world music fans.It's part of the score of the movie Black Hawk Down which, whether you liked it or not, had a really amazing world music influenced score, composed by Hans Zimmer and heavily featuring legendary Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.I'm not usually one for "composed" world music, but this haunting song hits it right on the mark.Buy from Amazon »
Women are actually surprisingly well-represented in the Desert Blues genre - they are often the percussionists in Tuareg groups - but there aren't many female African Pop singers who've ventured too deeply into the genre.Oumou Sangare, a Malian Wassoulou woman and African star, infuses her people's traditional music with tasteful amounts of modern stylings.Though the Wassoulou region is actually forested, this song is particularly bluesy, and fits right in with these desert blues songs, with the added twist of sultry female vocals.Buy from Amazon »
Son of Ali Farka Toure, Vieux played drums in his father's band until one day, he announced that he'd been learning the guitar in secret, and proceeded to wow everyone in the proverbial room with his talent.His debut album, released shortly after his father's death in 2006, was met with trepidation by many fans and industry people - would the son live up to his family name? - but indeed, most all were thrilled to discover that Vieux Farka Toure was well-served to live up to his father's legacy.This song, written for his sister, is a great example of his amazing vocal abilities and well-developed guitar skills.Buy from Amazon »
1. Ali Farka Toure - "Savane"
Ali Farka Toure is the modern godfather of the desert blues, and is credited with popularizing the genre.He was also incredibly knowledgeable about the oral traditions of African music, and became an invaluable resource for ethnomusicologists who were studying the roots and trajectory of what became the American blues."Savane" is from Toure's posthumously released album of the same name, and is one of the most beautiful tracks he ever recorded.Buy from Amazon »
2. Tinariwen - "Cler Achel"
Where Ali Farka Toure has found favor with ethnomusicologists and old-school world music fans, Tinariwen is popular among those who prefer their music a bit edgier.The members of Tinariwen met in Moammar al-Qhadafi's rebel training camps and, sharing a love of the music of their ancestors, as well as of John Lee Hooker and Bob Marley, formed a band.This track, Cler Achel, is the plaintive and polyrhythmic opener from their 2007 release Aman Iman: Water is Life.Buy from Amazon »
3. Tartit - "Abacabok"
This title track from Tuareg group Tartit's 2006 album is quiet and contemplative, with a quiet, throbbing rhythm playing on the tisde drums and a vocal line that sounds almost like a classic dustbowl-era "talking blues" - appropriate, indeed, as the members of Tartit met in a refugee camp.Buy from Amazon »4. Hans Zimmer feat. Baaba Maal - "Hunger"
This gem is one that's likely been overlooked by a few too many world music fans.It's part of the score of the movie Black Hawk Down which, whether you liked it or not, had a really amazing world music influenced score, composed by Hans Zimmer and heavily featuring legendary Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.I'm not usually one for "composed" world music, but this haunting song hits it right on the mark.Buy from Amazon »
5. Hassan Hakmoun & Zahar - "Challaban"
The Northern realms of the Saharan desert, Morocco and its neighbors, are the home of the Gnawa people.Hassan Hakmoun is a master of traditional Gnawa music, which is trance-like and repetitive, often featuring call-and-response singing.This eight-minute song personifies the Gnawa sound, and draws easy comparisons with the bluesy music of the Southern Sahara, proving once again that trade routes carry more than goods.Buy from Amazon »6. Toumast - "Ezeref"
Toumast is another band made up of Tuareg people.Their short but sweet ballad is titled "Ezeref", meaning "My Camel".It sounds almost like a childlike love song, being performed by a single voice over a single guitar, until you hear those guitar strings bend and twang and grind out some of the dirtiest, most fabulous acoustic blues riffs you've heard in a long time.Buy from Amazon »7. Afel Bocoum - "Jaman Moro"
Afel Bocoum was Ali Farka Toure's protege, and one of the most likely contenders for his throne when he passed away.He has mastered both Toure's swirling guitar styles and his heavy but contemplative vocals, and though he has a style of his own, the wisdom that passes down through generations of musicians is evident here.Buy from Amazon »8. Oumou Sangare - "Moussoulou"
Women are actually surprisingly well-represented in the Desert Blues genre - they are often the percussionists in Tuareg groups - but there aren't many female African Pop singers who've ventured too deeply into the genre.Oumou Sangare, a Malian Wassoulou woman and African star, infuses her people's traditional music with tasteful amounts of modern stylings.Though the Wassoulou region is actually forested, this song is particularly bluesy, and fits right in with these desert blues songs, with the added twist of sultry female vocals.Buy from Amazon »
9. Etran Finatawa - "Saghmar N Nanna"
Etran Finatawa is a totally unique band, in that half of the members are Tuareg, but the other half are Wodaabe - a smaller nomadic tribe.The two tribes are not historically friendly with each other, so when these musicians (who met at Festival au Desert) formed a band, it was an important symbolic statement.It doesn't hurt that they rock with the best of them.With its pulsing, grinding rhythms and wailing vocals, this track is a nice example of their blend of traditional sounds from both of their cultures with some modern elements.Buy from Amazon »10. Vieux Farka Toure - "Ana"
Son of Ali Farka Toure, Vieux played drums in his father's band until one day, he announced that he'd been learning the guitar in secret, and proceeded to wow everyone in the proverbial room with his talent.His debut album, released shortly after his father's death in 2006, was met with trepidation by many fans and industry people - would the son live up to his family name? - but indeed, most all were thrilled to discover that Vieux Farka Toure was well-served to live up to his father's legacy.This song, written for his sister, is a great example of his amazing vocal abilities and well-developed guitar skills.Buy from Amazon »
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