Tinariwen – Amadjar
Style: Tishoumaren, Desert Blues
Vibe: Desert, Hypnotic, Journeying, Spiritual, Flowing, Psychedelic, Mellow, Communal, Uplifting
Musical Qualities: Slow, Group Vocals, Repetitive, Percussive, Rhythmic
Style: Tishoumaren, Desert Blues
Vibe: Desert, Hypnotic, Journeying, Spiritual, Flowing, Psychedelic, Mellow, Communal, Uplifting
Musical Qualities: Slow, Group Vocals, Repetitive, Percussive, Rhythmic
Style: Gnawa, Spiritual Jazz
Vibe: Ceremonial, Hypnotic, Communal, Ritualistic, Spiritual, Uplifting, Serpentine, Warm, Desert, Tribal
Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Acoustic, Repetitive, Chants, Improvisation, Microtonal
Instrumentation: Guimbri, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Group Vocals, Clapping
Style: Afro-Jazz, Post-Bop
Vibe: Warm, Communal, Groovy, Spiritual, Sunny, Dance
Musical Qualities: Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Improvisation, Melodic
Style: Wassoulou, Afro-Pop
Vibe: Groovy, Dance, Sunny, Upbeat, Passionate, Catchy, Hypnotic
Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Percussive, Group Vocals, Technical
Style: Jùjú, Afro-Pop
Vibe: Warm, Catchy, Sunny, Groovy, Intricate
Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Percussive, Group Vocals
Style: Avant-Garde Big Band, Arabic/Egyptian Folk, Psychedelic Jazz
Vibe: Intense, Sombre, Cathartic, Psychedelic, Complex, Ritualistic, Communal
Musical Qualities: Dense, Progressive, Dissonant, Acoustic, Percussive
Instrumentation: Santur, Upright Bass, Piano, Saxophones, Vocals, Percussion, Drums, Clarinet, Flute, Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello), Keyboards, Synthesizer, lap Steel Guitar, Electronics, Harp
Style: Nomadic Future Folk, Organic Beat Music, South African Folk, Progressive Folk??
Vibe: Heartfelt, Imaginative, Futuristic, Ritualistic, Spiritual, Earthy, Psychedelic
??Musical Qualities: Electro-acoustic, Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Progressive
Style: Ethio-Jazz, Soul
Vibe: Heartfelt, Passionate, Uplifting
Style: South African Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, Progressive Jazz
Vibe: Conscious, Intense, Ritualistic, Cathartic
Lyrical Themes: History, Politics, Death, Spirituality
Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Complex, Spoken Word, Technical
“There is a heightened and sustained sense of intuition running through this recording whose sonic palette is so wide it captures – through soundscaping, invocation, lament, impressionistic vocal weaving – not only the transient and hybridised nature of life in Johannesburg, but also the heaviness of the air at the time of its recording. More ambient, controlled swirl of rhythm and experimental mixing than incessant groove, the album is an outpouring of a range of expressions that exist between the supposed binaries of indigenous forms of music and the electronic experimentation Johannesburg is known globally for.” (from Bandcamp)
Originally released in 1972 on EMI 1974 US pressing on Editions Makossa Format: LP
Released in 1982 on Mango Records Format: LP
Guitar-genius Mdou Moctar visits Portland, Oregon from his home country of Niger to record a hypnotic solo album of desert folk sung in Tamasheq. Most songs consist of intricate fingerstyle acoustic guitar with occasional electric guitar overdubs to accent the melodies.