Amassakoul [Import]

Tinariwen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: World Village USA
• ASIN: B0006213NU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,795 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #13 in Music > World Music > Africa > Mali
  • #56 in Music > World Music > Africa > General AAS
  • #57 in Music > World Music > Africa > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's a long way from the Mississippi Delta to the Sahara Desert. But somehow the snaking blues lines and hypnotic guitar figures of bluesman like John Lee Hooker resonated with the members of Tinariwen, who set aside traditional Touareg instruments two decades ago to play electric guitar. The follow-up to 2000's spellbinding Radio Tisdas, Amassakoul again features galloping rhythms, desert wails and, of course, electric guitar--up to four guitars snarl, burr and howl to create the spacious interlocking desert blues groove that is this group’s calling card. Eerie call-and-response vocals draw listeners in as well, conjuring up visions of a night around the campfire in the open desert air. This album also reveals that Tinariwen is more flexible than would be originally thought--the blues riffs are more varied and the music is augmented with more complicated arrangements and better production values. Another stunning effort, Amassakoul finds the band honing its art and spreading its wings musically to great effect. –-Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Will Burn in Your Fire, February 20, 2005

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Amassakoul (Audio CD)

With their enthralling mix of sounds that are both exotic and familiar, Tinariwen are the world music find of the year. This band is an unlikely story in itself, at least to the Western mindset - made up of members of the Touareg people of North Africa who sing in their native tongue, Tamascheck, but have added bluesy electric guitars and bass to their traditional music. Thus we have a sound like John Lee Hooker laying it down in the Sahara. And from what I understand, Tinariwen also have a political aspect to their story, as they apparently had to flee their homeland in the nation of Mali, due to government oppression, and ended up based in Algeria and France. Thus their music has a true revolutionary wisdom that American rockers could only dream of. The songs on this disc are relentlessly unique and fascinating. "Oualahila ar Tesninam" really rocks out with swinging delta blues licks and sparse desert percussion, while the emotional "Chet Boghassa" adds airy and arid acoustic guitars. "Arawan" is highly haunting with minimalist strumming and eerily mumbled vocals, while "Aldhechen Manin" has a sinuous bass-driven groove that is distantly related to reggae, possibly by way of West Africa. A further surprise is the guitar-less "Assoul," consisting only of throat-singing cantorial vocals and creepy flute. An added bonus is the CD booklet, containing poems in English that either represent or directly translate Tinariwen's lyrics. The words accompanying the music are absolutely stirring, and one of my favorite lines is also the title of this review. Watch for Tinariwen to top a lot of "best world music" lists this year. [~doomsdayer520~]

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Electric Tuareg, February 4, 2006

By 

Andy Hanson (Aspen, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amassakoul (Audio CD)

Recently attended the latest Festival au Desert near Timbuktu. The last night of the event we had to leave early to catch a plane. We got in our van and proceeded across the dunes to Timbuktu. Our driver, Aly Araouani put on a tape of Tuareg music which played and replayed through the night as we traversed from the site to our plane, through the town of Timbuktu, across the Niger River and south through the semi desert towards our destination. Over and over through the moonlight night and into the dawn we listened to the tape. When we arrived in Mopti I asked Aly whether he had a copy of that tape and he pulled one out of his pocket. When we returned to home I treasured the music and went to get it rerecorded. While surfing for Tuareg music I discovered the tape is Tinariwen's latest released called Amassakoul. Yes I have ordered it, but imagine my surprise when I sampled this cd. Listening and transported back to the hurried drive out of the festival it recreated for me the magic of that long trip. Aly had given me the jewel of Tuareg music. This album captures the beauty of the 'blue people' and as popular music has great rifts and fine catchy melodies. In my continuing search for great world music this set of songs tops my list.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mature, Mystical Music, November 23, 2004

By 

D. Sean Brickell (gorgeous Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amassakoul (Audio CD)

The first time I heard Tinariwen was on AfroPop Worldwide. Immediatelty went to the world music department of my local store and got everything I could find, which wasn't much in quantity -- but oh, mama what a treasure of melody and rhythm.

This new CD is equal to everything I've heard previously. The guitar licks are a hybrid of the syncopation of The Edge and the fluid chops of Ry Cooder. Tonally, it's the guitar that carries the music for me. I can't understand a word being sung, but the meaning and honesty are unmistakable.

I'm certain this will be amongst my top CDs of 2004.