Artist Profiles: Imarhan

Imarhan is an Algerian Kel Tamashek (Tuareg) desert blues quintet formed in 2006, in Tamanrasset, southern Algeria.

Band members grew up near each other in Tamanrasset, in a Tuareg community with roots in Northern Mali. Imarhan was formed in school in 2008 under the guidance of Tinariwen. Eyadou Ag Leche of Tinariwen is a cousin of Imarhan’s frontman Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, better known as Sadam. Tinariwen guided Imarhan’s evolution and produced and co-wrote several songs on their self-titled debut album, “Imarhan“.

The young Tuareg rapidly gained acclaim for their mix of ancestral Tamashek poetry and traditional rhythms of their elders and sounds that reflected their youth and urban upbringing, listening to music from around the world.

Although Imarhan perform what is known as Tuareg desert blues, their sound incorporates pan-African rhythms, Algerian music, funk and other influences.

The band’s second album was “Temet” (2019). Temet means “connections,” in the Tamashek language. It was a call for unity.

In November 2021, Imarhan released the single “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)” and announced a upcoming third album titled Aboogi, slated for release in January 2022.

In January 2022, Imarhan released the album “Aboogi“, made in ther desert in southern Algeria.

In August 2022, Imarhan released the new track, ‘The Distance’, featuring Gruff Rhys. Talking about ‘The Distance’, Gruff Rhys said: “The Distance is my adaptation in English of Imarhan’s track Tadalat. We recorded it for fun at the end of a session, live at the band’s Aboogi studio in the desert. Sonically, I think it channels the desolation of the desert well—with very little common language beyond music, my interpretation was based more on feeling than an attempt at direct translation. “The distance is long—the longing is longer.“

Discography:

Imarhan (City Slang, 2016)
Temet (City Slang, 2018)
Aboogi (City Slang, 2022)

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.