Named after a studio space they built in Tamanrasset, Algeria, Imarhan‘s new album, Aboogi, instantly transports you to a different world where everything slows down, the tea is delicious, and you spend nights listening to music and dancing around a fire now and then.
Opener “Achinkad” sets this tone right away with its simple guitar chords, hand percussion and claps, and meditative vocals. “Derhan” builds on this theme of communal bliss. “Temet” (not to be confused with their 2018 album of the same name) is a haunting warm wind as the sun comes up on a desert cooled overnight. “Tindjatan” is a tale of a great battle in which many Tuaregs were killed. “Asof” is nothing but vocals, simple hand percussion, and guitar chords that drift into windswept dunes, and it’s lovely.
“Assossam” spins a tale of economic disparity in southern Algeria, all the while keeping some optimism with its beats and lively guitar work. The lyrics of “Taghadart” are ones of grief, but hope within that grief (i.e., “Please safeguard my trust from now until the end of time.”). “Laouni” is like a lazy stroll along the crest of a desert hill. It flows so well into “Imaslan N’Assouf” that it’s almost hypnotizing. I don’t have a translation of the lyrics for “Tamiditin,” but the guitar and vocal delivery on it makes it sound like Tuareg blues. The album ends with “Adar Newlan,” a song about the increase in youth imprisonment rates in the band’s native land and how these sentences affect families and communities.
Aboogi is a powerful record in its peaceful delivery. Imarhan have every right to rage and shred, but they decide to deliver prayers and meditations instead.
Today, Tuareg quintet Imarhan releases “Adar Newlan,” a collaboration with Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and the third single off of their third studio album, Aboogi, out Friday, January 28 on City Slang. Imarhan and Rhys wrote and recorded the song together at Aboogi Studio, the band’s studio in Tamanrasset, Algeria. Sung in the musicians’ native languages of Tamasheq and Welsh, the song is about the universal value of kinship and more specifically highlights the struggles of the young people of Tamanrasset. The video for “Adar Newlan” was directed, written, and animated by Hugo and Rodolphe Jouxtel of Fantômes and produced by Ondine Benetier for La Blogothèque and Wedge. The song follows two previous singles, “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)” and “Achinkad.”
Imarhan first met Rhys in London at an Africa Express event, organized by Damon Albarn. Rhys elaborates on their collaboration: “My time at Aboogi with Imarhan was unforgettable. We hid from the sun and drank hot strong tea in the orange tent within the studio’s outdoor compound and exchanged musical ideas. New friends singing in multiple languages; Tamasheq, Welsh, French, English, Arabic drifted on the air from the studio door into the yard. Songs seemed to flow and grow quickly and effortlessly in these conditions. Right where the city meets the mountains, and where you can glimpse both worlds, capped by the ceiling of their gigantic sky – without barely moving your head.“
The video depicts a man coming to listen to a group of Tuaregs who recall the legendary struggles of their ancestors as they sit by the fireside. Time passing has transformed the history into tales and legends, spawning many versions as tea is prepared. Story telling becomes dialogue and dialogue becomes lively debate. Imarhan says, “As we delve into their contrasting imaginations, the truth seems to slip like sand between our fingers…finally giving way to a common story, enriched by sharing and begging to be reinterpreted, again and again.”
Imarhan built Aboogi Studio themselves so that they could finally record on their home soil and provide the same resources to other artists in the Tamanrasset area. On the region, Rhys said, “A simple four meter walk to the studio then to document these ideas live and in the moment – [it was] the perfect way to record. To get to visit Tamanrasset in the first place, to receive the warmest welcome possible and to travel into the desert and witness all its beautiful glory by day and its infinite stars at night was life changing enough in itself, but that’s an entirely different story!” It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space Imarhan created, as well as the historic resilience of their culture and people.
Aboogi also features collaborations with Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, solidifying Imarhan as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and societal change. Following Imarhan’s exhilarating 2018 album Temet, Aboogi’s featherweight, festive music belies the band’s fierce sense of conviction and justice. These are the complexities that make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with extraordinary community, art and culture.
Imarhan are: Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane (aka Sadam), Tahar Khaldi, Hicham Bouhasse, Haiballah Akhamouk and Abdelkader Ourzig. Watch Video for “Achinkad”
Today, Tuareg quintet Imarhan unveil “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)” off of their third studio album, Aboogi, out January 28th, 2022 on City Slang. Japonais, aka the late poet Mohamed Ag Itlale, was a pillar of the Tuareg community who passed away shortly after these recordings were made. The album was recorded in Aboogi Studio, the first professional recording studio in Tamanrasset, built by Imarhan themselves.
Bandleader Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, aka Sadam, said, “Japonais passing has left a big void in Tuareg music. It was enough to exist in the same precious time as his poetry and music but to have recorded with him at Aboogi Studio was so special. He was an exceptional artist and personality. He listened to everyone, never critical, encouraging younger generations because he felt change is important in music. When I met him by chance, it felt like magic. He knew about Imarhan and wanted us to sing his songs because he didn’t have the strength and trusted us to carry his music on. His progressive mind and positive energy will always be part of our community and in our hearts.” Listen to “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)”
Aboogi also features collaborations with Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, plus Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, solidifying Imarhan as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and societal change. Following Imarhan’s exhilarating 2018 album Temet, Aboogi is as serene and open as the desert it emerged from. The featherweight, festive music on Aboogi belies the band’s fierce sense of conviction and justice. These are the complexities that make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with extraordinary community, art and culture.
This new album is the first the band recorded on their native soil, and in a studio they built. It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space they created, as well as the historic resilience of their culture and people.
Next spring, Imarhan will embark on a European tour. Full dates are listed below, and US tour dates are forthcoming. Watch Imarhan’s Video for “Achinkad”
Imarhan Tour Dates Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Tuareg quintet Imarhan announce their third studio album, Aboogi, out January 28th, 2022 on City Slang, and today presents the lead single/video “Achinkad.” The diversity, beauty, and struggles of life in Imarhan’s home city of Tamanrasset in Southern Algeria are reflected in the songs on Aboogi, the first album the band recorded on their native soil in a studio they built themselves. It features Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, plus Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and the poet Mohamed Ag Itlale (also known as Japonais) from the Tamanrasset artistic community. Following the exhilarating Temet(2018, City Slang), this new album is as serene and open as the desert it emerged from.
Imarhan’s Aboogi Studio, named for the structures their nomadic forebears built when establishing settlements, is the first professional recording studio in their city, meant to serve the Saharan region’s community of musicians, many who’ve never had access to high-end recording gear before. It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space they had established, as well as the resilience of their culture and people. “Aboogi reflects the colors of Tamanrasset, what we experience in everyday life,” says bandleader Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, aka Sadam. “We give space to the wind and the natural energies, to the sun and the sand. We want to express their colors through music.” There is incredible warmth embedded in these steady, lilting rhythms and patiently strummed acoustic guitars, derived not just from the natural environment but from the community that surrounds them.
Imarhan’s musical world has always been expansive, based in the traditional sounds of the Tuareg people but fiercely individualistic and embracing of the many styles they encounter. On Aboogi they emerge as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and social change. This connection is sensed in today’s “Achinkad” video, which shows the band playing music around a fire and dancers shuffling throughout a desert.
Of the song, Sadam says, “It’s a tribute to our people and to our land. The Tuaregs have been present since ancient times and they are still here, present to their land, faithful to their people, grateful to their ancestors, to their culture, and fully, heavily attached to their nature. They travel through the times and they are always here with this land part of their identity.”
The songs on Aboogi are of-today, bridging the past, often referencing ancestral texts, and the future. They address many current issues affecting Imarhan’s community, from oppressive laws to great economic disparities. “You must be in solidarity with your people at all costs, until the end,” says Sadam. The featherweight, festive music on Aboogi belies its fierce sense of conviction and justice. These complexities are what make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with true community, art, and culture.
Imarhan’s confirmed tour dates in Europe are listed below. Tour dates are forthcoming for the United States. Pre-order Aboogi
Imarhan Tour Dates Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Algerian musicians Imarhan are expanding the range of Tuareg music by including touches of psychedelia, surf, and rock on their new album Temet.
Opener “Azzaman” (“The Times / Time”) has beats that are both trance and dance-inducing, and the guitar is fiery when it kicks into gear. The guitar work on “Tamudre” is psychedelic funk, and the hand percussion is like a bubbling pot of hearty stew. “Ehad Wa Dagh” (“A Covenant and an Argument”) will get you moving. Seriously, put this on any exercise playlist you have. The band cooks through the whole thing and will have you burning calories faster than any spin bike or kickboxing instructor can manage. I love how the guitars on “Alwa” move from subtle to brash and back again in an instant.
The opening of “Imuhagh” is positively hypnotic. The guitars soar like a hawk overhead, the vocals seem to call to you from a distant dune, and the drums prowl like a cat on mouse patrol. They shred “Tumast” almost beyond belief, with guitars that come at you like a freight train and percussion like a landslide. It’s one of the hottest tracks I’ve heard all year. “Tarha Nam” is the calm after the storm of “Tumast,” and “Tochal” is another guitar showcase that would make Lindsey Buckingham jealous. “Zinizjumeg” and “Ma S-Abok” end the album a calm that’s much appreciated in this day and age.
I fell in love with Tuareg music a few years ago. It never ceases to bring me joy, make me dance, or ground me in the present. Imarhan’s Temet is another fine piece of art in the genre.
Tuareg music has been part of Levitation Austin for the last few years, and this will be Imarhan‘s second time playing the festival. They’re playing at Cheer Ups on April 27th at 7:30pm. They put on a great set the last time I saw them (in 2016), and they’ll be part of a fun night of world music. They’ll also be promoting their new record, Temet, which I’m eager to hear live.
I had a blast at live shows this year, seeing nearly 50 different bands. I hope I can match or beat that in 2017. I’m going to highlight the top 50% of the bunch, five at a time.
Levitation Austin always brings in at least one Tuareg artist, and Imarhan played a packed house at the Empire in downtown Austin. It was early in their first U.S. tour and they put on a fine show of uplifting music.
These two maestros of their respective instruments (Gourisankar on tabla and Indrajit Banerjee on sitar) wowed the crowd at the Stoop Inn. My wife and I were right in front and their energy had us and the whole crowd buzzing.
They were the first band we saw at Levitation Austin in 2016, and they had to play an abbreviated set due to showing up a bit late (Thanks, Austin traffic.). As a result, they played a wham-bam-thank you ma’am set of all their rockers. They threw down the gauntlet early.
#22 – Bleachedat the Grog Shop in Cleveland, Ohio October 21st.
They were a blast, the venue was great, and the crowd was appreciative. They were even better live than I thought they would be and friendly to anyone who stopped by their merch table after their set.
I saw Night Beats three times in 2016. This was the second time, and the third time I saw them came in at #26 on my list of live shows and was only two days later at San Marcos’ MR Fest. They closed the first night of Levitation Austin, after nearly everyone had learned the festival had been cancelled, and they made everyone forget their blues for a little while. It was a raucous set, and we all needed it.
Which shows made my top 20 for 2016? Come back tomorrow to find out.
I was lucky enough to see Algerian rockers Imarhan at the beginning of their first U.S. tour when they played at Levitation Austin, Texas last April. I’d heard a couple of their tracks on BBC 6 Music (the greatest radio station on Earth) and made sure to get my wife and I tickets to see them. They didn’t disappoint, and neither does their self-titled debut album.
“Tarha Tadagh” gets the album off to a lovely start with subdued vocals, handclaps, and peaceful acoustic guitars. “Tahabort” is the first single, and it sizzles with that crisp and bouncy guitar sound that only Tuareg players seem to be able to play as the hand percussion gets the floor jumping. “Ibas Ichikkou” is like a meditative chant you’d hear in a desert tent full of incense smoke and strings of bells hanging on the tent ropes. “Idarchan Net” is in the same vein and has more lovely acoustic guitar work throughout it.
If I ever get to Alergia and have a cup of tea in a little café within sight of the desert, I fully expect “Assossamagh” to be playing there while tough old men smoke cigarettes, kids play soccer in the street, and a mutt sits nearby waiting for me to drop a piece of bread. It’s a lovely song.
The title track, and the band’s name, translates as “The ones I care about.” The song has great backing vocals by the band as they put down a fierce beat and scorching guitar. It got the crowd cheering and dancing when we saw them in Austin.
“Addounia Azdjazzaqat” and “Id Islegh” get back to the mellow grooves (I especially like the raindrop-like percussion on “Id Islegh”). “Aroj N-inizdjam” grows in volume and funk as it winds along like a happy balloon drifting through the streets of Tamanrasset while a child chases after it. “Alwak” brings a blue vibe that is unexpected and mesmerizing. It’s something Lightning Hopkins would’ve played and sang if he’d been born in the Sahara instead of Texas.
Imarhan have stated in interviews that they wish to shake up the perception of Tuareg music in western audiences. They don’t wear traditional robes and scarves. They don’t dress much different than the Strokes. They play music rooted in traditional Tuareg sounds, but they also embrace blues, jazz, rock, and even funk. Get in on the ground floor with these guys now, because they’re going to be a big act on the world stage.
We awoke Friday with no plan of what to do or where to go. We weren’t in panic mode, mind you. Austin’s a fun city and you can find plenty to do there. Live music is always happening at some place in town. I snagged a copy of the local alternative newspaper and scoured it for anything fun. The folks at Levitationhad also Tweeted they were going to post the schedule and locations of makeup shows as soon as possible.
We decided to see a movie at one of the Alamo Drafthouse theaters in town. I discovered on the way there that many gigs had been scheduled for the weekend, and tickets were only five bucks apiece. I ordered tickets for a Friday night show at Empirefeaturing Imarhan,Indrajit Banerjee and Gourisankar, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Klaus Johan Grobe, and others. The other shows scheduled for the rest of the weekend sold out in minutes. The website crashed from so many people attempting to access it, meaning many were left high and dry for tickets. To make matters worse, scalpers went to the venues and bought fistfuls of the five-dollar tickets so they could attempt to reap a heavy profit from the desperate festival attendees.
We saw Keanu, and it’s good fun. I figured the city would be soaked in the predicted rain by the time we left the theater. Nope. Not a drop. The day continued with warm weather and cloudy skies, but no rain. Twitter was buzzing with angry Tweets to Travis County Emergency Services. Even I Tweeted, “Is your meteorologist of choice going to issue an apology for their erroneous forecast? This is egg on your face.”
They replied that “forecasts change” and they had to go with the information they had at the time. I replied that I understood their position, but they needed to issue a press release instead of the Levitation coordinators being responsible for dispensing all the information. Not doing so made them look even more like the grumpy men who cancelled the festival to spite all the hippies and freaks.
They did send out links to official statements not long after this. Their fire marshal explained that the ground was so saturated from previous flooding that they told the Levitation coordinators that they’d have to find alternate parking before the festival since people would get stuck there if the predicted rain came through, not to mention that it would flood the entire camping area. No alternate parking or camping areas could be found, so the festival was cancelled.
It turned out to be the right call because the predicted heavy storms came through around 4:30am on Saturday. 60mph wind gusts, hail, heavy rain, lightning strikes, and tornado warnings were involved.
But you’d probably like to know about the show we actually saw. We had a tasty ramen meal at a downtown restaurant and got to Empire in time to see Klaus Johan Grobe. They played a fun set of electro funk that we really enjoyed. We probably wouldn’t have seen them at the main festival because their set was during someone else’s I wanted to attend, so it was a lucky break for us.
Klaus Johan Grobe
I wandered to the outside stage to see the beginning of Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats‘ set. I didn’t stay for all of it because the humidity and heat was brutal out there. The venue had put up a long tent over the outside portion of the stage to protect the sound boards and attendees from more potential rain. The rain never came, but the humidity did. It combined with the heat of hundreds of bodies and was stifling. I went back inside to see Nots play their Bikini Kill-inspired rock set .
Nots
We were disappointed when sitar master Indrajit Banerjee and tabla masterGourisankardidn’t play. I figured their set must’ve been cancelled. I didn’t find them playing anywhere in the venue and was on my way to get a drink when I saw them in the bar chatting with people. I asked Gourisankar if I missed their set. He laughed and said their manager had mixed up the venues and they thought they were supposed to play the Mohawk (about two blocks away) at 10:00pm instead of at Empire at 9:00pm. He introduced me to Indrajit, and both were very pleasant and asked where I lived. I told them northern Indiana “near South Bend,” and they said they’ve played at the University of Notre Dame many times. I told them I DJ’ed there and they said they were looking for more clubs in Indiana to play gigs. They invited me to a free show they were playing on Sunday at Symphony Square so we could talk more about it.
Up next were Imarhan, a Tuareg band who were high on my list this year. They didn’t disappoint. They played a great set of African / Arabic / desert rock that had the crowd moving, clapping, and cheering.
Imarhan
We stuck around for part of a Prince tribute by local band Foot Traffic, but left once a large part of the outside crowd stuffed into the indoor space and shot up the heat in the room by about 200%.
I couldn’t get tickets for any of the Saturday shows. I was eager to get tickets to see Bayonne and Caribou, but they were already going for at least $40 each on Craigslist. In case you forgot, that’s eight times face value each.
I had to find something for us to do, and I did in a town about 25 miles away. It involved music, and it was all free.
Up next: Mr. Fest, indie rock, Night Beats, and free CD’s.
Keep your mind open.
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Tuareg musicians Imarhanare the latest band of fine musicians from Algeria who blend traditional music with rock guitars.
Levitation Austinalways brings in at least one Tuareg band every year. The wide variety of bands form around the world I probably wouldn’t be able to see otherwise is one of the things I love most about the festival. Imarhan’s first single tore up BBC 6 Music radio and I eagerly await their set in Austin.
Keep your mind open.
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