Tinariwen at SFJAZZ Spring Festival at Herbst Theater

Tinariwen creates trance music with attitude — and the group has become an utterly unlikely success story. Drawing its members from the Tuareg nomads, a much-repressed tribal people exiled from their native Mali, Tinariwen developed an expansive sound over years spent in desert isolation. An amalgam of Berber, Arab and African influences, plus Western blues and psychedelic rock, has converged organically to forge the trademark Tinariwen gestalt. Their extended songs are celebratory, even as they pulse with the melancholy ache of a nomadic heritage. Legions of music icons from Robert Plant to Carlos Santana and U2 cite Tinariwen as inspiration and the band’s new album Tassili features prominent rock guitarists as guests, including Nels Cline (Wilco) and Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio)...

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Tinariwen creates trance music with attitude — and the group has become an utterly unlikely success story. Drawing its members from the Tuareg nomads, a much-repressed tribal people exiled from their native Mali, Tinariwen developed an expansive sound over years spent in desert isolation. An amalgam of Berber, Arab and African influences, plus Western blues and psychedelic rock, has converged organically to forge the trademark Tinariwen gestalt. Their extended songs are celebratory, even as they pulse with the melancholy ache of a nomadic heritage. Legions of music icons from Robert Plant to Carlos Santana and U2 cite Tinariwen as inspiration and the band’s new album Tassili features prominent rock guitarists as guests, including Nels Cline (Wilco) and Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio). Each of Tinariwen’s previous SFJAZZ shows has sold out, so we recommend advance ticket purchase.

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