Dag Tenere – Iswat
On Iswat, Dag Tenere play assuf music, also known as desert blues. The musicians combine traditional Tamashek music with original material that features captivating rock guitar and laid back blues. The lyrics talk about migrating from the desert to the city, love for a mother, and poetic verses for a beautiful woman.
The band uses modern instruments as well as tendé, a percussion instrument that was traditionally played by noblewomen.
Dag Tenere was formed in Nimay (Niger) in 2016. The main songwriters are former Etran Finatawa guitarist Goumar Abdoul Jamil and guitarist Ibrahim Ahmed Guita. The group’s first album was Timasniwen Tikmawe, released in 2018.
Band members include Goumar Abdoul Jamil on lead guitar, lead vocals, handclaps and backing vocals; Ibrahim Ahmed Guita on lead guitar, lead vocals, handclaps and backing vocals; Zaina Aboubacar on tendé, lead vocals, handclaps, shouts and backing vocals; Zouher Aroudaini on bass and rhythm guitar; Ghousmane Goumar “Tandja” on jembe, handclaps and backing vocals; Zaid Ag Abdoul Jamil on calabash, assaqalabo or askalabo (water drum, a calabash submerged in water), handclaps and backing vocals; and Makata W. Assaleh on backing vocals. Guest musician: Alkoubiti Malik Sidi on guitar.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
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