This guitarist is a Tuareg living in Niger. As with many West African musicians, Mdou Moctar’s music was first distributed via mobile phones. It reached audiences on other continents following the publication of the compilation “Music From Saharan Cellphones” by the Sahel Sounds label. With his committed lyrics on the situation in Niger and other African countries, it was above all in 2021, with the release of “Afrique Victime”, that he met with success. He has released more than half a dozen albums and has opened for Jack White.
The album cover almost looks as if it comes from another age and another part of the world, so reminiscent is it of Southern Rock or even Outlaw. This visual impression is matched by the listening experience. It will have escaped no music fan that blues owes a great deal to African music, and this album is a real cross between that of the Tuaregs of Tinariwen and many Anglo-Saxon guitar-based productions. Mdou Moctar and his band demonstrate both a high level of instrumental dexterity and no less inspiration. While keeping Africa at the forefront, they manage to inject a rock edge that will mock even the most jaded.
Far from the almost amateurishness of the music on mobile phones mentioned, the record showcases the Nigerian’s guitar, still electric on this opus. And his voice, often backed by backing vocals. The rest of the band provide a taut, urgent rhythmic backdrop, the crescendo structure of some tracks reminiscent of the trance music so dear to Africa. The percussion and hand-clapping add an exciting dimension to the whole. The result is an album that blends cultures and is hard to get enough of.