Amassakoul
The birth of the band Tinariwen in 1982 is closely linked to the exile and wandering situation of the Touareg people, the Berber nomads of the Sahara Desert. Their sung poetry calls for the political awakening of consciousness and approaches the problems of the exile, of the repression in Mali, of the policy of their people's expulsion to Algeria and of the claims for sovereignty and self-determination. The band, originally called Taghreft Tinariwen - meaning ''building up of countries'', first performed in the Libyan barracks before moving on to play at traditional celebrations and youth parties of the Touareg. A whole new style took root in those barracks; the traditional instruments such as the teherdent lute and shepherd flute were discarded in favour of the electric guitar, electric bass and drums. This is the band's wonderful 2004 album.