Send "Tinariwen " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Musicomh |
 As one of the best-known African groups outside of the continent, there was always the danger Tinariwen could make the leap from Western popularity to Westernised collaborations, thereby diluting their original impact. Thankfully they keep the fruits of their own highly original work with the likes of Tunng to one side, for Imidiwan (Companions) continues to speak directly in their own totally unique language. It's a language we have come to know and love from the Tuareg tribesmen, one that uses traditional rhythms and melodies but seems at the same time tantalisingly close to Western dub or psychedelia. Enseqi Ehad Didagh (Lying Down Tonight) provides the perfect example, its stanzas ever so slightly clipped on the last beat, so that what is essentially a meditation keeps a frisson on tension and energy. The theme throughout is unity, with few sentiments speaking more loudly than the opener, Imidiwan Afrik Tendam (My Friends From All Over Africa), a softer contemplation sung in unison that speaks of happiness and contentment....full text |
| Popmatters |
| It’s another Friday night at Manchester Uni. On stage is UK folktronica act Tunng, hawking their Blur-esque single ”Bullets”. So far, so ordinary. But amid the flashing oranges and yellows of the lighting, among the scruffy men and laptops, are three Tuareg warriors, only their eyes showing through their head-dress, jumping up and down and imploring the liquored-up crowd to clap along. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tinariwen 2.0. After the BBC hooked them up for a radio recording session, Tinariwen and Tunng took to the road together for a ten-date tour of the UK, joining in and playing each other’s songs. Top that off with a slot on the main stage at Glastonbury this year and the release of their latest album, Imidiwan: Companions, and it’s clear Tinariwen are no longer world music’s best kept secret. For a band whose name means “empty places” in their native Tamashek, Tinariwen better get used to spending a lot more time away from their beloved desert homeland. Imidiwan is classic Tinariwen—punishing grooves, buzzing, snaking guitars, handclaps, and lived-in voices. This is restless, questioning music, calling for a freedom of the mind as much as of the people. It’s also cool as fuck. Their songs are evocative in ways music seldom is; you can feel the heat in their voices, picture the haze coming off the desert horizon, hear the dust getting into their microphones, their amps, under the strings of their guitar, slowly working its way into the sound itself. It’s raw, and from the MC5 to NWA, raw means real....full text |
| Guardian |
| Tinariwen have been one of the great African success stories of recent years, taking their rousing, slinky desert blues from the Sahara to the concert halls of the world. But after the pounding, infectious grooves of the Aman Iman album, released two years ago, it seemed hard to see where they could go next. Now comes a new set that is very different, yet equally impossible to resist. The slinky, rhythmic guitar lines and bluesy riffs are still there, but in a lighter setting, more like desert folk music. It's like listening to a group of exceptionally fine players sitting around the campfire at night after putting the camels to bed. The opening and closing tracks have the easy charm of great folk or work songs, with melodies that sound uncannily western. Tenhert matches a light blues riff against rapid-fire vocals, and Kel Tamashek is a glorious stomping work-out. Another Tinariwen classic....full text |
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