03-28-19 Imidiwan Ma Tenam by Tinariwen

03-28-19
Tinariwen represents a whole different kind of passion. Their love is nobler than the pursuit of human pleasures, but rather a pursuit of personal and spiritual liberty. They are of the Tuareg people hailing from Mali, they are of the desert, and their music does well to exemplify this. As musicians, they have found a way to connect their older musical traditions with modern sounds and in turn modern audiences. Their pursuits in trying to advocate for personal and spiritual liberty has left them as outcasts from their own nation having to flee in fear of political persecution. This hasn’t stalled their attempts at disseminating information on what is going in their homelands, it has instead emboldened their efforts fueling their passions.

I have a more in-depth and profound appreciation for all tribes of the desert, Afterall I am mostly a member of one myself, as a Phoenician and as my ancestors have walked the paths of the desert tribes here in the Southwest for generations. There is a sense of mysticism that cannot be explained, nor can it really be imitated, it is something that you come to understand naturally, and only after the desert has willed it so. This sense of mysticism is present in most every Tinariwen song. They use traditional Tuareg hymns, while also creating new and contemporary versions to represent their current struggles.

Since having left Mali, they have traveled the world performing for seas of people, yet always yearning to return home. They have spent considerable amounts of time in Death Valley, and Joshua Tree as this environment is the closest to their homes, and as such it has helped them to continue to create and feel connected to their homelands.

Lyrics:

Tuareg (Original Lyrics)