As a child growing up in war torn Mali of the early 1960’s, master guitar player Ibrahim Ag Alhabib built his very first guitar using nothing more than a tin can, stick and bicycle wire. By age 19 he had migrated to Algeria and in 1979 assembled the players who were to become Tinariwen (meaning “deserts”), ultimately returning to Mali following a cease-fire just over a decade later. Seven albums, one Grammy and some 40 odd years since their initial formation Tinariwen are back with Elwan, their first album of new material since Emmaar from 2014. Simply put, Elwan bursts with a wealth of raw Sahara Desert electric blues grooves and soulful acoustic ruminations. An absolute triumph of an album.
Rating: 8.5/10
