the blue man blues
Many Tuaregs were exiled to Libya between 1980 and 1990. Their first contact with blues music was usually at the refugee camps there. The Tuaregs, being used to travelling to some many places in Africa, usually adopt the music of the places they go to. And that's what happened with the blues. It's no surprise maybe the colour's like destiny?) that blue men like the blues. They called this "new" music assouf (melancholy).
The pioneers of this special types of music were Addallah ag Oumbadougou from Niger and Ibrahim ag Alhabib, Alhassane ag Touhami and Entayaden from Mali. They wired up their acoustic guitars and, in the 1990's, at the start of the Tuareg revolt, used their songs to invite the blue people to take up arms. The governments of Mali and Niger soon decided that they were wrong-doers and they were driven into exile, but Assouf songs, recorded on cassettes, reached all over the desert.
Blues from the desert is music which combines different origins and elements. It's a hypnotic sound which comes from adding rock and blues to traditional Tuareg and Arabic songs. As far as lyrics are concerned, this music started off by calling people to arms: the main subject matters are honour, politics, personality, love and war.
30 years ago, it was based on a mainly oral tradition of music. It's now a type of music with roots. Although it's a young type of music, it's already shown a great ability to adapt and find new forms. Many groups have been formed by making new instruments and new patterns. People who live in silence and alone have become devoted music fans. Last year, in the revolt which created a new country, Assouf music was heard loud and clear from the Tuareg's pick-ups and 4x4's. However, bearing in mind the relationship between Islamic fundamentalists and music, we'll have to see what happens in the new country that's been created in the Sahara.
Amazig Tumuzga (the Land of the Tuaregs) was founded on 20th September, 2011. People which until then had been controlled by Niger and Mali have taken over parts of the Sahara. They have chosen Tamachek as their spoken language and tifinag as their written language and Agadez is the new country’s capital. The new government describes itself as lay, democratic and ferderalist. The “Blue Book” is their foundational text and they also have a national anthem. The new flag has seven stars on it to show the Tuareg’s seven federal states.
The pioneers of this special types of music were Addallah ag Oumbadougou from Niger and Ibrahim ag Alhabib, Alhassane ag Touhami and Entayaden from Mali. They wired up their acoustic guitars and, in the 1990's, at the start of the Tuareg revolt, used their songs to invite the blue people to take up arms. The governments of Mali and Niger soon decided that they were wrong-doers and they were driven into exile, but Assouf songs, recorded on cassettes, reached all over the desert.
Blues from the desert is music which combines different origins and elements. It's a hypnotic sound which comes from adding rock and blues to traditional Tuareg and Arabic songs. As far as lyrics are concerned, this music started off by calling people to arms: the main subject matters are honour, politics, personality, love and war.
30 years ago, it was based on a mainly oral tradition of music. It's now a type of music with roots. Although it's a young type of music, it's already shown a great ability to adapt and find new forms. Many groups have been formed by making new instruments and new patterns. People who live in silence and alone have become devoted music fans. Last year, in the revolt which created a new country, Assouf music was heard loud and clear from the Tuareg's pick-ups and 4x4's. However, bearing in mind the relationship between Islamic fundamentalists and music, we'll have to see what happens in the new country that's been created in the Sahara.
Amazig Tumuzga (the Land of the Tuaregs) was founded on 20th September, 2011. People which until then had been controlled by Niger and Mali have taken over parts of the Sahara. They have chosen Tamachek as their spoken language and tifinag as their written language and Agadez is the new country’s capital. The new government describes itself as lay, democratic and ferderalist. The “Blue Book” is their foundational text and they also have a national anthem. The new flag has seven stars on it to show the Tuareg’s seven federal states.
