Those lucky enough to get tickets were in for a treat last Sunday at Koko, Camden:
Touareg musicians and freedom fighters Tinariwen captivated the audience with their unique mix of traditional and rock music – citing blues, reggae and psychedelic rock as modern influences. Various instruments like the Tamasheh and African guitar as well as an array of percussions are used to conjure up this intriguing blend.

Originally founded in 1979 by frontman Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, the band (all members are from the Sahara desert region of Northern Mali) quickly gained a cult following the world over and likewise struck a chord with Touareg exiles. Fusing elements of native protest songs and poetry with Western sounds, Tinariwen could soon count musicians like Carlos Santana and Robert Plant amongst their steadily increasing fan base, while less obvious admirers include Henry Rollins. In fact, the desert rockers had jammed with Santana and Plant on several occasions.

The Koko night kicked off with the support act, Ethiopian BZ Band, introducing their musical blend of traditional sound and rock - using kirar harps and drums to back the vocals. The band furthermore featured dancers sporting native costumes, which added to the exotic allure.

After a break that seemed to go on forever, Tinariwen finally took to the stage and were welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd. All band members wore traditional garb complete with tagelmoust. Having addressed the audience in both French and English, it was backing vocalist Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni who took center stage for the first few tracks, presumably to get the ball rolling so to speak. If that was the reason, he needn’t had to worry. People were clapping and dancing to the rhythm of it all! Then frontman and founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib joined his band and took over – likewise wearing traditional costume but minus tagelmoust turban and veil. It’s easy to see why Ibrahim is the leading man of Tinariwen. Not only does he captivate the crowd like some messiah that came from the desert, but with his unruly mass of curly hair he also has that certain 'western rock star’ allure about him. Think Marley, Lynott or Hendrix and you get the idea.
The beats got faster as the evening went on, while the audience went ever more ecstatic. Tinariwen aren’t in need of any gimmicks or elaborate stage effects, as the music and the lyrics (for those who can understand them) speak for themselves. Despite a cross-selection of songs from the band’s various albums, rhythm and tunes felt slightly repetitive at times. However, this was more than compensated for by a band who gave it their all and by a crowd that simply enjoyed the special vibe. It goes without saying that Tinariwen weren’t left off the hook so easily and delighted their audience with an extra few tracks to round off a truly spectacular evening.