Customer Reviews

Amassakoul

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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~]

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.

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.

Warning: Not listening to this CD may cause you to experience a traumatic loss of musical enlightenment, cultural awareness, and soul.

A little geography and sociology first....Tinariwen is a Tuareg/Berber musical group from Mali, North Africa. You know, Sahara Desert, camels, henna tattoos, and all that. They formed in 1982, and their name means "empty places" in their native tongue. They did a lot of low-tech recording for nearly 20 years; mainly rebel music supporting Tuareg independence from the government of Mali. In 2000 they were "discovered" by the West; they have since played in France, England, and the USA, and have sparked a lot of interest, wherever they play.

Amassakoul ("Traveller"), their second album, is a unique and wonderful fusion CD. Tinariwen has masterfully incorporated 1950's - 1960's era American blues/rock electric guitar with their already formidable Tuareg vocals and percussion. Listening to these tracks, I got the feeling that Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and maybe even Jimi Hendrix all took to the Sahara by caravan, and started jamming with their Tuareg hosts. The result is hypnotic, funky, and exhilarating. I count Amassakoul among the best CD's I have heard, in any genre.

Tinariwen produce classical visceral guitar blues sounds that have your body swaying and head nodding in synch with the music. Their creative vocals and powerful modern guitars integrate well with the traditional percussion and chanting that often accompanies a piece. Their music expresses strong emotions and deep feelings of a nomadic tribe which has undergone many changes in modern times often to the detriment of their ancient lifestyle ... The true spirit of this desert tribe comes alive in their heartfelt vocals which have a lyrical poetic quality, as translated in the liner notes. The music is honest and gutsy ... at times reminscent of the Mississippi and Chicago blues styles but truly in a category by themselves. Anyone who loves the blues will want to own this CD. Traditional instruments often accompany the powerful gut-wrenching guitar music. The music hooks the listener's emotions creating an exotic aura that mixes with a distant familiarity. It is timeless and ethereal ... evoking an awesome sense of wonder.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

The connection between West African music and American blues has never been as clear or as powerful as it is on Amassakoul. The modal nature of much of the playing reminds you of John Lee Hooker, but there's no doubt that this is the well he was drawing from, not the other way 'round. I think any fan of West African music will absolutely love Amassakoul

the hypnotic grooves found on TINARIWEN'S AMASSAKOUL convey a meditation on the lives of the poets who make this compelling music. even without the translation that accompanies each offering,the listener will most assuredly pick up on the themes of lonliness,longing,despair,and suffering vocalized and manifested in the form of electric guitar work that to these ears is quite unique. i can understand the inclination to characterize this music as a cousin to american blues,but i feel the comparison dillutes the achievements of both. instead, i suggest listening with a fresh set of ears,discerning the particular strength of each;in the case of TINARIWEN it might be the poetry of the words (translated or not),the atmosphere created by the yearning vocals combined with urgency of those guitar grooves. there is something engaging in trying to figure out what someone speaking an unfamiliar languge is saying;and although the translations are beautiful,there seems to be even more being said here. give it your full attention and it will take you places.

Another fine offering by one of Sub-Saharan Africa's best new bands, the Touareg ensemble known as Tinariwen... Their slow, hypnotic groove style has mellowed even more, inviting comparison, perhaps, to American "jam bands" such as the Grateful Dead, et al. Granted, for many folks in the rock world, a statement like that might be the kiss of death... But for a band as deeply drenched in Arabic and Africa musical styles, the additional groove-a-delic droning becomes a strong selling point. Tinariwen picks up the meandering, bluesy style pioneered by Malian superstar Ali Farka Toure, and adds a much more nuanced, textured coloring, creating a new, modern African pop style that can become quite addictive, once you get in the right frame of mind. If you liked their last album, "Radio Tsidas Sessions," you really ought to love this one!

I fell in love with the group Tinariwen some ten years ago when I first saw them at the end of the Ali Farka Toure documentary, Ca Coule de Source. I was hypnotized by this surreal vision of Bedouins playing electric guitar in the desert.

I was a bit disappointed by this release, to say the least. The music is beautiful (as always) but the production of this release does not capture the live vibe of this band. The CD comes in at a very short 40+ minutes (vinyl reissueish). I would have welcomed the longer jam-type style of the band playing live. IOW I believe this could have been produced a lot better than it was. I'm sure the band didn't play these abbreviated versions of their songs in the studio.

The repetition of the rhythm plays a major part in this music. It creates a drone on which the melody lines are played. This sense of the music is lost in this release. I want an un-cut version, PLEASE???

Music of the deep Saharan tribes takes on a decidedly modern, sometimes rocky overtone with Tinariwen's new recording AMASSAKOUL.
 The slow, nearly sleepy passages of introductory song 'Amassakoul n Tenare' is startled from rest by the nearly John Lee Hooker/Malian guitar of 'Qualahila Ar Tesninam', starting a past/present theme swing which moves progressively between songs.
 'Chatma' holds shades of Ali Farka Toure in its precise chants and guitar style.
 There's even Tamashek rap exposing the fragile world of the fading desert, if political observational poetry is desired. 
 Neither fish nor fowl is Tinariwen's latest AMASSAKOUL: not blues, pure North African, nor Western - but with elements of all, uniting for the greater good.