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In 2018, Tinariwen finished an international tour in support of their previous album, Elwan. They were unable to return to their home area in northern Mali due to sectarian violence and threats from Islamist militants. The group instead decamped in Morocco and embarked on a multi-month journey through Western Sahara and Mauritania, collaborating with local musicians at several stops along the way and writing songs while camped out in the desert. Upon arriving in Nouakchott they were hosted by Mauritanian singer/griot Noura Mint Seymali and her husband Jeiche Ould Chighaly. The album was recorded outdoors in the Nouakchott area with mobile equipment, with additional overdubs recorded at studios in France and Morocco. The Guardian noted that the album's unusual genesis "places the listener entirely within the nomadic Tinariwen universe." The album's lyrics reflect the group's recent struggles in trying to return to their homeland, their journey through Western Sahara and Mauritania, and their experiences as an unlikely international touring act.
Reception
The album received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic praised the album as "a testament to their unyielding collaborative spirit, and on this hybrid of an album, they again summon a common musical language while sounding as authentic as ever." In the words of PopMatters, "No one puts the soul of the Sahara into music so intimately and ingeniously as Tinariwen, and Amadjar is a particularly well-polished jewel." The A.V. Club said that the album is possibly the best of Tinariwen's career, as "droning songs of interlocking (and mostly acoustic) guitar come together with an appealing slowness, as if each element is steadily wandering in from the wilderness, curious about the noise and ready to join in." The Times of London described the album as having "a sound that feels ancient, empty and slightly scary." Riff Magazine praised the album as "the closest anyone will get to the true essence of what Tinariwen represent as a cultural and musical force." Glide Magazine said "Amadjar brims with a true roots essence" and "speaks of unity and togetherness, an understanding that the future needs to be fought together in community and harmony."
Track listing
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Tenere Maloulat"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
3:43
2.
"Zawal"
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
4:04
3.
"Amalouna"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib / Noura Mint Seymali
4:01
4.
"Taqkal Tarha"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
3:59
5.
"Anina"
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
3:43
6.
"Madjam Mahilkamen"
Alhassane Ag Touhami
3:47
7.
"Takount"
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
3:11
8.
"Iklam Dglour"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
4:35
9.
"Kel Tinawen"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
3:57
10.
"Itous Ohar"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
4:19
11.
"Mhadjar Yassouf Idjan"
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
4:22
12.
"Wartilla"
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
5:36
13.
"Lalla"
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
4:56
Total length:
54:13
Personnel
All information from album liner notes.
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 2, 5, 7, 12, 13), backing vocals (all tracks)
Alhassane Ag Touhami – lead vocals and lead guitar (track 6), backing vocals (all tracks)
