Mdou Moctar’s new album, Ilana (The Creator), is a powerful, stunning record full of amazing guitar work, trance-inducing vocals, and uplifting energy sure to bring you up from any blues you might be feeling.
Starting with “Kamane Tarhanin,” a slow burn that builds to an inferno, the album makes your jaw drop in just the first track. The slightly fuzzy vocals on “Asshet Akal” mix well with the guitar licks that are somehow rough and pristine at the same time, like a gem pulled fresh from the ground. “Anna” is a lovely track that might be a love song. I’m not sure, since I can’t translate the lyrics, but Moctar’s vocals and the overall sound of the song make it appear as a love song. In a way, all of Moctar’s work is about love: love of country, fellow man, nature, art, and the Creator.
“Takamba” is a nice instrumental track, and “Tarhatazed” is another track with mind-blowing guitar work that has influences ranging from Hendrix to ZZ Top. “Wiwasharnine” is a toe-tapping, hip-shaking rocker that boosts your spirits with its handclaps, soaring guitar, and joyful vocals.
The title track is a rocking takedown of the French government’s treatment of Nigerian uranium mine workers. The album ends with the beautiful “Tumastin,” an almost meditative track that sticks with you for a few moments once it’s done.
This is one of the best albums of the year so far, and a must-have for any fan of Tuareg music.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]
