Black Tenere cover

Black Tenere

Released

True revolutionaries of the desert blues genre, Kel Assouf have perhaps broken the Tinariwen mold more than any other group before them (although Mdou Moctar comes close), blending the fiercest edges of Tuareg rock with thunderous electronic production. Tamashek frontman Anana Harouna uses powerful guitar riffs to protest the injustices faced by his people, while Tunisia-born, Ammar 808 producer Sofyann Ben Youssef intensifies the sound with his techno beats and swirling organs, creating an audacious album that captures the anger and resilience of people who have been displaced or forced to migrate, whether from Mali or Tunisia.

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

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