DUNE BUDDIES

Mdou Moctar’s Desert Blues lineage…

ALI FARKA TOURÉ Le Jeune Chansonnier Du Mali (Sonafric, 1976)

Touré bore a long grudge against the label that released his first five LPs – an original today would cost you more than he ever saw in royalties – yet where else do you start with the Saharan blues but the godfather?

TINARIWEN Aman Iman (Independiente, 2006)

After two albums that explained what they did, Tinariwen grasped the myths that had grown up around them on their third. Side one’s Cler Achel and Matadjem Yinmixan (both written by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib) are the very definition of Tuareg funk.

GROUP DOUEH Treeg Salaam (Sublime Frequencies, 2009)

A tip of the hat to Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce for hipping us to this quintet from Western Sahara in MOJO 170: “It’s made by somebody who loves Bo Diddley and Jimi Hendrix and gospel, so turn it up loud and it sounds otherworldly.”

GROUP INERANE Guitars From Agadez Vol. 3 (Sublime Frequencies, 2010)

With guitarist Adi Mohamed tragically shot dead shortly before recording, Bibi Ahmed reconfigured his group for their second album, and unleashed the Agadez sound: imagine yourself in 1966, with Brian and Keith jamming out the future of the Stones.

BOMBINO Nomad (Nonesuch, 2013)

Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar (“The Moctars? We are like family”) took the Agadez sound overground. Dan Auerbach produces in Nashville, boosting bass and drums and introducing lap steel and keyboards. An undeniable influence on what Mdou Moctar would go on to do.