Tinariwen

Figure8 Agency, in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, is thrilled to present the Tuareg Grammy-winning sensation Tinariwen in Singapore!

Tinariwen is an iconic desert blues band originally from northern Mali, a country which has given the world Toumani Diabaté and the great Ali Farka Touré, among others. Rooted in traditional Tuareg music but influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, their music addresses political awakening, problems of exile, repression, and sovereignty. The band has become a rallying point for the disenfranchised nation, while helping to garner global interest in desert blues, a hypnotic and danceable combination of blues, Tuareg folk, rock and more. Outlawed in Algeria and Mali, their first two albums found an international audience, and paved the way for a wave of Tuareg desert blues artists such as Bombino and Tamikrest. Their praises have been sung by some of the planet’s most influential musicians—Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn, Robert Plant and Chris Martin, to name just a few.

Elwan was recorded between Morocco and Joshua Tree, California, with special guests Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age), Kurt Vile and Matt Sweeney (Johnny Cash, Bonnie Prince Billy and Cat Power). This record reaffirms this Tuareg institution as one of the most legendary and influential African bands in recent decades. Elwan has been nominated for Best World Music Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.