Adghah

Touareg guitar music takes many forms; there is the incandescent psychedelia of Bombino and Mdou Moctar, the nimble blues-rock of Tinariwen and Etran Finatawa, the intricate droning of Les Filles de Illighadad, and many more. Yet this list would be incomplete without mention of Group Inerane, the Nigerien band fronted by Bibi Ahmed.

Famed in the West for Guitars of Agadez on Sublime Frequencies, Group Inerane's style is different from many of their counterparts. Mostly recorded live, they play tighter, more hypnotic riffs with the backing of a female choir and the rhythmic claps of those around them. It feels raw and welcoming, inviting you to clap along as if you were sitting there with them.

On Bibi Ahmed's debut solo album, Adghah, it continues much the same. On one track, ‘Tamiditin Aicha’, you hear him soloing for a few seconds before the drums come in. On another, the drums pound slightly too loudly as if placed too close to the microphone. Rather than detract from the music, however, these touches emphasise the warmth of the record. Ahmed's guitar playing is intimate and subdued, the singing often following suit. If Bombino and Mdou Moctar are like Jimi Hendrix, Bibi Ahmed might be seen as like The Velvet Underground: softer, warmer, and deeply alluring.