Mdou Moctar
Mdou Moctar is the stage name of guitar virtuoso Mahamadou Souleymane from Niger. He taught himself to play the guitar, one that he even built on his own. We can also hear this DIY mentality in his unconventional approach to Tuareg music. The songs are a mix of engaging, psychedelic parts, heavy guitar violence and the mesmerizing rhythms of the Tuaregs.
Mahamadou hails from Agadez, a desert town in Niger’s rural parts. Inspired by YouTube videos of Eddie Van Halen six-snared techniques and traditional Tuareg melodies, he managed to create his own psychedelic desert blues sound. We can safely call it a reinvention of Sahara rock. No song follows standard rhythms, and it’s especially his remarkable guitar-playing technique that is intriguing.
The most recent album, “Afrique Victime”, released through Matador Records, was given five stars by De Volkskrant: “Of all the Tuareg bands and other disciples of Tinariwen from Algeria, Moctar rocks the hardest. What a terrific record.” The album is a poetic collection that deals with urgent matters like religion, inequality and love. And as the title already implied, it also deals with the colonial impact on West Africa. Moctar also mentions that he wants everyone to know that they make music to work towards world peace, with a level playing field for all, and that it’s all part of the battle against racism. It’s not only dancefloor-friendly, but it also carries an important message.
