Funeral for Justice

Forget desert blues. Mdou Moctar insist they are a rock band, influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen as much as by their Touareg roots. They are led by the lead guitarist and singer who gives the band their name (and is otherwise known as Mahamadou Souleymane). Born in a little Saharan desert village in Niger, he made his first guitar from a piece of wood and bicycle brake wire. His first recordings back in 2008 spread across North Africa via Bluetooth swaps on mobile phone cards, and one of those songs appeared on the compilation Music from Saharan Cellphones. He went on to star in a Saharan homage to Prince’s Purple Rain. Now he plays lead guitar on a white left-handed Stratocaster, leading a band in which he is joined by rhythm guitar, drums and bass, the last played by New York producer Mikey Coltun.

Following the success of their sixth album, Afrique Victime, now comes a (mostly) intense, high energy set with angry political lyrics in the Touareg language, Tamasheq. The opening title-track sets the mood with urgent vocals and rapid-fire guitar riffs, the lyrics calling on African leaders to ‘retake control of your countries, rich in resources.’ The band settle down for the slinky, rhythmic opening to ‘Imouhar’, which is a call for the preservation of Tamasheq, at a time when Mdou argues that many people in his community are just speaking French. The song provides a reminder that they share musical roots with Tinariwen, from across the desert in Mali – at least until the rock riffs kick in. Elsewhere, on ‘Sousoume Tamacheq’, he deals with the problems of the nomadic Touareg, again with furious vocals and guitar work underpinned by a solid rhythm section and Coltun’s tight bass work.

Much anger is directed at France, the former colonial power that has continued to have close links with Niger, though French troops left the country (after this album was recorded) following last year’s military coup. France is dependent on Niger’s uranium for its nuclear power programme, and on ‘Oh France’ Moctar admonishes the country. He continues with the theme on ‘Modern Slaves’, though this returns to a gentler, slinky style.

This is a band who spend a massive amount of time playing live, and they are back on the road now, with a lengthy tour of the US and Europe. They will be in London at Electric Brixton on July 3, and then back in the UK from August 30 until September 4. They will be well worth checking out.