Hypnotic rhythms, sometimes evocative, sometimes beguiling vocals, electric guitars, a violin – all reminiscent of the desert rock of the Malian band Tinariwen, but also of the work of Western Saharan singer Noura Mint Seymali and her ancestors. It is a well-known fact that music rarely halts at political borders. Mint Soueid Bouh, the violinist and band leader behind the »family business« Ahl Nana, grew up in Timbuktu, then a cultural melting pot, and absorbed all sorts of different influences which she went on to process in her compositions. These formed the basis for Ahl Nana’s repertoire and transported Mauritanian music into the modern age. The recordings featured on this compilation were made in 1971 and have since been gathering dust in storerooms in Casablanca – the music cassette had killed off the vinyl market. However, the songs by Ahl Nana were famous in the Sahara, and even the great Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour has sung them. We don’t have the space here to go into the winding paths leading up to the release of these historic recordings; you can read about them in the album’s exciting liner notes. Equally exciting is the music, which has finally been rediscovered for our ears.
Nazar
Demilitarize
Hyperdub