Ilana: The Creator

Saharan rock fans have good reason to be excited by this new release. From the raw and punchy opening number ‘Kamane Tarhanin’ to the anthemic bars of ‘Wiwasharnine’, Mdou Moctar's first professionally produced studio album delivers a healthy abundance of fiery and furious electric Touareg guitar. Moctar (real name Mahamadou Souleymane) established his credentials a little over ten years ago when he left his village in Niger to record tracks in Sokoto, Nigeria, which were distributed on mobile phone memory cards and swapped by users right across the continent, as was common back then. One of these, ‘Tahoultine’, was heard by Sahel Sounds label boss, Christopher Kirkley, while scouting for talent in Mali. He included the song on his collection Music from Saharan Cellphones and international success swiftly ensued for the talented young guitarist.

Moctar's playing has evolved technically since those early days yet retains a blistering, frenetic energy, combining urgent riffs with poignant lyrics that deal with emotive and topical subjects such as ex-colonial powers' exploitation of African resources ’ as on the title-track. This is raucous, vital, invigorating stuff and it's almost impossible not to love it.