Vocal music
tisiway: poems
tasikisikit: songs performed by women, accompanied by tende, men on camel back turn around
asak: songs accompanied by anzad monocord violin.
tahengemmit: slow songs sung by elder men
Children and youth music
Bellulla songs made by children playing with the lips
Fadangama small monocord instrument for children
Odili flute made from trunk of sorghum
Gidga small wooden instrument with irons sticks to make strident sounds
In the 1980s rebel fighters founded Tinariwen, a Tuareg band that fuses electric guitars and indigenous musical styles. Tinariwen is one of the best known and authentic Tuareg bands. Especially in areas that were cut off during the Tuareg rebellion (e.g., Adrar des Iforas), they were practically the only music available, which made them locally famous and their songs/lyrics (eg Abaraybone, ...) are well known by the locals. They released their first CD in 2000, and toured in Europe and the United States in 2004. The Niger-based band Etran Finatawa combines Tuareg and Wodaabe members, playing a combination of traditional instruments and electric guitars.
Many music groups emerged after the 1980s cultural revival. Among the Tartit, Imaran and known artists are: Abdallah Oumbadougou from Ayr, Baly Othmany of Djanet.
Amidinine
Bombino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Amidinine, amidinine
Tada adounia tichagret
Tada adounia gouzoul
Sagglete s'immik iyyane
Was tarhed dagh manak
Awa tarhed, arhekh
Iguekh dagh mane isiglekh
Edag dossed kitawakh
My friend, my friend
This life is long
This life is short
Manage it in a certain way
The way that suits you
What you desire, I desire it as well
From the depth of my heart, I accept it
Everywhere I go, I'll think about it
The lyrics to Bombino's "Amidinine" capture a profound message on how to approach life. The song is sung primarily in the Tamasheq language, spoken by the Tuareg people of the Sahara, but even without understanding the words, the song's reflective, calm melody could evoke a feeling of contemplation.
The chorus of the song, "Amidinine, amidinine," is translated to "my friend, my friend." It invokes the idea of a friend giving advice on how to navigate life. The first two lines of the song, "Tada adounia tichagret, Tada adounia gouzoul," mean "This life is long, this life is short," signifying the transience of life. The third line, "Sagglete s'immik iyyane," means "Manage it in a certain way," which highlights the importance of making the most of the limited time one has.
The second verse, "What you desire, I desire it as well," emphasizes the power of shared empathy and the understanding that we are all connected. The line, "From the depth of my heart, I accept it," further highlights the idea of embracing the circumstances of one's life. The final line, "Everywhere I go, I'll think about it," unravels the recurring motifs of the song and reiterates the importance of living intentionally.
Overall, "Amidinine" provides a poignant reflection on life and the wisdom to live it to the fullest in one's own way.
Line by Line Meaning
Amidinine, amidinine
My friend, my friend
Tada adounia tichagret
This life is long
Tada adounia gouzoul
This life is short
Sagglete s'immik iyyane
Manage it in a certain way
Was tarhed dagh manak
The way that suits you
Awa tarhed, arhekh
What you desire, I desire it as well
Iguekh dagh mane isiglekh
From the depth of my heart, I accept it
Edag dossed kitawakh
Everywhere I go, I'll think about it
Contributed by Grayson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Imuhar
Goumar You make my life better with your music.