Today, virtuosic Tuareg guitarist and songwriter releases “Wiwarsharnine,” the new single off his forthcoming album Ilana (The Creator), out March 29th on Sahel Sounds. This follows the first single off the record, the steadily-building-to-boil “Kamane Tarhanin,” which turned a lot of heads that had never heard Moctar’s hypnotizing music.
“Wiwasharnine” is one of the standout tracks on Ilana and a favorite in Niger. Unfolding with pop and upbeat vibe, “Wiwsharnine” contrasts somewhat with the heavy political sensibilities in the lyrics. (included below). This contrast is often at the heart of Tuareg guitar, where burning guitar solos carry fierce messages of resistance. Nevertheless, “Wiwasharnine” is a hometown anthem, and the recording stays true to it’s form with a chorus of stomping and handclaps that bring it back to an outdoor wedding in the desert.
In other Mdou-related news, on his recent US tour in January, he proved himself more than just a guitar hero, but a full-stop HERO, when, after witness a car accident on the highway in Tennessee, he jumped from his tour van and kicked open a car door to help bring one of the accident’s victims to safety. What a guy!
Moctar hails from a small village in the Azawagh desert of Niger. As a child, he taught himself to play homemade guitars, cobbled together out of planks of wood. In an area where guitar music was all but prohibited, he quickly rose to the status of local celebrity amongst the village youth. In contrast to the polished style of Imarhan or Bombino, Mdou Moctar trades in unrelenting gritty rock and has no qualms about going full shred. But Mdou’s success is not confined to guitar theatrics alone. From his experiments in autotune (Music from Saharan Cellphones, 2011), unfiltered field recordings (Afelan, 2013), DIY overdubbed folk ballads (Sousoume Tamachek, 2017), to a starring role in a Saharan remake of Purple Rain (Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai, 2015), Mdou stands out amongst his peers for his unparalleled vision.
LISTEN TO ” WIWARSHARNINE”
YT: https://youtu.be/qA2zshM6A8g
SPOTIFY: http://open.spotify.com/track/1ohyPWrP4SOAdjLax4NPmA
“WIWARSHARNINE” LYRICS
This life today I understand nothing
The strongest are always the ones who eliminate the weak
This world is always changing sometimes rising sometimes falling
But nothing ever changes for my people
All the countries are in joy
But my people remain stranded
and this pains me
PRAISE FOR “KAMANE TARHANIN”
“It’s easy to imagine the breadth of Mocatar’s musical influences. [‘Kamane Tarhanin’] is a droning, hypnotic, and psychedelic meditation.” – NPR Music
“blistering and gritty psych rock” – Stereogum
“While nothing captures the live Mdou Moctar experience, this is as close as I’ve heard.”
– Afropop Worldwide
MDOU MOCTAR TOUR DATES
Thu. March 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum
Fri. March 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
Sat. March 30 – Detroit, MI @ Trinosophes
Sun. March 31 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
Mon. April 1 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revifval – Sanctuary
Tue. April 2 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Wed. April 3 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Thu. April 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
Fri. April 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Psych Festival
Sat. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Sun. April 7 – Omaha, NE @ Pageturners Lounge
Mon. April 8 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Tue. April 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Fri. April 12 – Olympia, WA @ Octapas
Sat. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Sun. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Thu. April 18 – Oakland, CA @ Red Bay Coffee
Fri. April 19 – Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
Sat. April 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
Sun. April 21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Mon. April 22 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
Tue. April 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Thu. April 25 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
Fri. April 26 – Lafayette, LA @ TBA
Sat. April 27 – Lafayette, LA @ TBA
Sun. April 28 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Tue. April 30 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Pre-order Ilana (The Creator) –
https://mdoumoctar.bandcamp.com/album/ilana-the-creator
Mdou Moctar Online:
https://mdoumoctar.bandcamp.com/
https://sahelsounds.com/mdou-moctar/
https://www.facebook.com/mdoumoctarofficial/
Keep your mind open.
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