from the album Toumastin
The fluid feel that Tamikrest brings to their desert blues and the way they accentuate lyricism and warmth reminds us why this genre has so much cross-cultural appeal.
Find out more about their music at https://thepropagandasite.com/artist/tamikrest
Tamikrest is a Malian band that plays the electric guitar centered hybrid form of music known as Desert Blues that merges traditional Tamasheq (Tuareg) music with western rock. Their sound is roughly in the same ballpark as some other bands from the same region known for their use of West African rhythms and circular riffs, such as Tinariwen and Terakaft, though perhaps they stay a bit on the smoother side at times. They are led by guitarist Ousmane Ag Mossa, whose mastery of the instrument is on a par with what audiences have come to expect from artists working in this particular space. His voice is younger in texture but certainly carries that sun burnt, dry quality that is almost ingrained in the genre. There is a sense of lyricism and yearning that comes across loud and clear in their songs despite any language barrier, paired with some excellent songwriting and execution.
We're back to desert blues. Our #SongoftheDay is "Azawad" by Tamikrest. The elegiac tone of the song may have to do with Azawad being the name of the state Tuareg people attempted to establish in 2012.
Listen at https://thepropagandasite.com/
🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #WoPop
Tamikrest:
🎵 Atwitas
Sotos
Andrew Shields
The Propaganda Site
KEXP 🎶 #NowPlaying Bot
ZZ Bottom