“Different deserts, same hypnotic groove … They are still the champions of the genre they created,” said The Guardian of renowned Saharan band Tinariwen and their latest Grammy nominated album Elwan. Out today is their new animated video for “Nannuflay”, an Elwan track featuring Kurt Vile and Mark Lanegan. In the clip, an old Tuareg man returns to the camp where he grew up, bringing back memories of both the joys and the torments of the nomadic life he lived there, a story of hearty people living in lands of loneliness.
In recent years Tinariwen’s homeland, a Saharan mountain range between north-eastern Mali and southern Algeria, has been transformed into a conflict zone. Each song on the album powerfully evokes a land that can no longer be found, with nostalgia for a joyous past and sadness for the tragic loss of a territory.
This summer Tinariwen returns to North America to play songs from Elwan as well as the rest of their extensive and critically acclaimed catalogue. Headlining shows are set to take place in Boston, Seattle and DC with festival appearances at Pickathon and Psycho Las Vegas. More dates are still to be announced; all current dates are listed below.
More shows are coming…
TOUR DATES
7/26 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
7/28 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
7/29 – Washington DC – Warner Theatre
7/31 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre
8/2 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
8/3 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
8/4 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall
8/5 – Missoula, MT – Traveler’s Rest Festival
8/7 – Calgary, ALB – Bella Concert Hall
8/13 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
8/17 – Las Vegas, NV – Psycho Las Vegas
8/20 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf
Vandala Magazine 