The Tuareg, known amongst themselves as the Kel Tamasheq, have long been recognized as warriors, traders and travelers of the Sahara Desert - as a people of grace and nobility as well as fighters of fierce reputation. They are a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa and for centuries have fought against colonialism and the imposition of strict Islamic rule.
Bombino spent his early childhood between the encampment and the town of Agadez, the largest city in northern Niger (population about 90,000) and long a key part of the ancient Sahara trade routes connecting North Africa and the Mediterranean with West Africa. One of seventeen brothers and sisters (including half brothers and half sisters from both his mother and father), Bombino was enrolled in school in Agadez, but he demonstrated his rebellious spirit early on and refused to go. Bombino's grandmother took him in to keep his father from forcing him to go to school, and, like most Tuareg children, he grew up living with his grandmother.
Eventually, Bombino gave in and began attending a French-Arabic school that taught both French and classic Arabic. After three years, he left the school and at the age of nine he returned to his grandmother to live the life of an independent Tuareg child. The Tuareg culture is matriarchic, and the elder women are considered the chiefs of the community, the wise sages that represent the power of life, generosity and knowledge. Bombino's grandmother instilled in him the Tuareg moral code in order for him to grow up as a respected member of society. Young Tuareg boys are called "arawan n tchimgharen", or "grandmother's children", a term that is considered a badge of honor.
In 1984, a drought hit Niger and Mali, killing most of the region's livestock, forcing people to leave the countryside and move into the cities or migrate to Algeria and Libya. Eventually, Tuareg communities in those countries organized a rebellion to defend their rights, as they felt overlooked and underrepresented by local governments. Before the fighting began, rebels began teaching the community about the goals of the rebellion through song and the recently adopted guitar. Musicians such as Intayaden, Abreyboun of Tinariwen, Keddo, Abdallah of Niger and others sang popular songs that proclaimed the rights and heritage of the Tuaregs. The style was called "ishoumar" which derives from the French word "chomeurs" or "unemployed", because Tuaregs had lost their herds in the drought and were left with no other means of supporting themselves. Eventually, the term "ishoumar" became synonymous with "rebels".
In 1990, the first Tuareg rebellion began in Mali and Niger when Tuareg commandos launched an attack against local military and government offices. The governments fought back, declaring Tuaregs enemies of the state and forcing many Tuareg's into exile.
Bombino fled with his father and grandmother to stay near relatives in Algeria. One day some relatives arrived from the front lines of the rebellion, carrying with them two guitars that they left behind for a few months. Bombino began to teach himself to play the guitars, plucking out notes in imitation of the ishoumar songs he had heard.
In 1992 and 1993, the military regime in Niger was replaced with a democratically elected government, and numerous political parties were formed, largely along ethnic lines. A Tuareg party was formed, and music once again played an important role in educating the community, this time about the importance of a democratic system in Niger. While the armed conflict had not formally ended, Bombino and his family decided to move back to Agadez.
During a trip to Niamey, Niger for medical treatment, Bombino met with his uncle Rissa Ixa, a famous Tuareg painter, who gave him a guitar. Upon returning to Agadez, Bombino joined the Tuareg political party where he met the best guitarist of the party, a man named Haja Bebe. He started getting lessons, improving to the point where Haja Bebe invited him to join his band. It was during this time that Bombino acquired his nickname. As the youngest and smallest member of the band, the other members called him Bombino, a variation on the Italian word for "little child".
On April 24th, 1995, the Niger government signed a peace treaty with the rebels and Tuaregs were able to move back to Niger. Around the same time, Bombino got a role as an extra in the French film Imuhar: A Legend, which was filmed in the nearby desert. After finishing his work on the film, Bombino settled into life as working musician, performing at political rallies, weddings, and other ceremonies.
He fought often with his father, who did not want his son to become a musician. To escape this problem, Bombino decided to travel to Algeria and Libya in 1996. In Libya, he made friends with some local musicians, and they would spend time watching videos of Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and others in an effort to master their licks. Bombino was quickly becoming an accomplished guitarist and was in high demand as a backing musician. While working as a herder in the desert near Tripoli, Libya, Bombino spent many hours alone watching the animals and practicing his guitar.
Eventually, Bombino decided to return to Niger, where he continued to play with a number of local bands. As his legend grew, a Spanish documentary film crew helped Bombino record his first album, which become a local hit on Agadez radio. The success of the album validated Bombino's choice to make a career out of music, and he began playing regularly for tourists and locals alike.
In 2006, Bombino traveled to California with the band Tidawt for a tour organized by a non-profit organization. During the trip, he had the chance to record a desert blues version of the Rolling Stones classic "Hey Negrita" alongside Stones' members Keith Richards and Charlie Watts. The track appears on the 2008 album spearheaded by Rolling Stones saxophonist Tim Riese entitled Stone's World: The Rolling Stones Project Volume 2. Later that year, Bombino served as Angelina Jolie's guide to the Niger desert region during a weeklong visit. During their time together, he played her the music of the Tuareg and told her stories of nomadic life in the Sahara.
In 2007, the second Tuareg rebellion began, and the government countermeasures were forceful and indiscriminant. Many civilians were killed and farms and livestock were destroyed in an effort to quash the rebellion. Instead, the government's hard-handed tactics only served to galvanize the Tuareg community, and Bombino and his friends joined the rebellion. Government forces killed two of Bombino's musicians, so he fled in exile to Burkina Faso along with many of his fellow Tuaregs.
In 2009, he met filmmaker Ron Wyman who had heard a cassette of Bombino's music while traveling near Agadez. Wyman was enchanted by Bombino's music and spent a year seeking him out, eventually tracking him down to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where Bombino was living in exile. While there, Wyman decided to feature Bombino in a documentary he was filming about the Tuareg. Later that year, he brought Bombino to Cambridge, Massachusetts to begin recording the album Agadez in his home studio.
Finally, the Tuaregs put down their arms and were allowed to return to Niger. In January 2010, Wyman came to Agadez to finish the album and the film. The sultan of Agadez allowed them to organize a concert for peace at the base of the Grand Mosque, the first time such a performance had been permitted. Over a thousand people came to celebrate the end of the conflict and danced to the irresistible grooves of Bombino and his band.
Although just thirty years old, Bombino's life and travels have exposed him to the problems facing his people. He has taken on the mission of helping the Tuareg community achieve equal rights, peace, maintain their rich cultural heritage and promote education. He is an advocate for teaching children the Tuareg language of Tamasheq, the local Haoussa language as well as French and Arabic, all of which he speaks fluently. "We fought for our rights," remarks Bombino, "But we have seen that guns are not the solution. We need to change our system. Our children must go to school and learn about their Tuareg identity."
Four thousand years of living in a hostile environment taught the Tuareg that the will to survive with dignity intact is stronger than any external threat. Bombino puts that sentiment to music, writes its anthem, and gives it a life of its own. He is known as being emblematic of the next generation of Tuareg, a new voice of the Sahara and Sahel, fusing traditional Berber rhythms with the energy of rock and roll and songs about peace. After thirty years of drought, rebellion, and tyranny, Bombino extols his audience to remember who they are, but also realize who they can be.
This biography is based largely on an interview conducted with Bombino in December 2010 and on materials prepared by Ron Wyman of Zero Gravity Films.
Her Tenere
Bombino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hegh tenere
Usuf yigane
Dagh tenere
Warhene ammane
Ikhimadas, samad ranagh
Tikmawene, tin tenere
The desert
I am in the desert
Full of nostalgia
In the desert
Without water
I was sitting, meditating
On the problems facing the desert
Bombino's song "Her Tenere" is a poignant and introspective reflection on the Ténéré Desert in Niger, one of the most hostile and inhospitable places on the planet. The song starts with Bombino singing "Tenere, hegh Tenere," which means "desert, oh desert". It sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is a meditation on the beauty and harshness of the desert environment.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the desert landscape and the emotions it evokes in Bombino. He sings of being full of nostalgia, which suggests a deep attachment to his homeland and a sense of longing for the past. The reference to being without water also highlights the difficulty of survival in such an extreme environment. However, despite the hardships, Bombino shows a deep reverence for the desert, describing himself as "sitting, meditating" on the problems facing it. This combination of reverence and introspection gives the song a spiritual quality, and it feels like an ode to the resilience and majesty of the desert.
Line by Line Meaning
Tenere
The word Tenere refers to the desert, and is mentioned at the beginning to indicate the subject of the song.
Hegh tenere
This line translates to 'I am in the desert'. The singer is expressing their physical location and setting the scene for the rest of the song.
Usuf yigane
The phrase 'Usuf yigane' is difficult to translate directly, but it can be interpreted as meaning 'full of longing' or 'nostalgic'. This line highlights the emotional impact that the desert has on the singer and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
Dagh tenere
This line simply repeats the first line and reinforces the idea that the song is about the desert.
Warhene ammane
Translated as 'Without water', this line sets up a conflict and foreshadows the challenges that the singer will face in the desert - namely: survival.
Ikhimadas, samad ranagh
This phrase is difficult to translate directly, but it can be interpreted as meaning 'I was sitting, meditating'. This line shows that despite the harsh conditions, the singer remains contemplative and introspective, and is seeking a deeper understanding of their surroundings.
Tikmawene, tin tenere
Finally, this line can be translated as 'On the problems facing the desert'. By expressing concern for the desert and its issues, the singer shows a deep connection and attachment to the environment, and reinforces the idea that this song is an ode to the Tenere.
Contributed by Sebastian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@khadijabahri2543
lyrics:
Tenere
Hegh tenere
Usuf yigane
Dagh tenere
Warhene ammane
Ikhimadas, samad ranagh
Tikmawene, tin tenere
The desert
I am in the desert
Full of nostalgia
In the desert
Without water
I was sitting, meditating
On the problems facing the desert
@iviedhaiku6832
do you hear that
the day is not over
night has not come
*
in the desert
the blade
becomes a stone
*
everything calls you
and you stay
are you the lighthouse of the night
*
smoke in the sky
a drop drifts into the stream of a river
a handful of sand are the days
@nikolayzimoglyad4915
Восхитительный шедевр, проходящий нитью сквозь мою жизнь. Ощущения на кончиках пальцев, дрожи, эстетического удовольствия. Настоящее искусство!
@mohamedbounaas4697
عليك ان تأتي الجزائر بلد رائع وقارة ومليئة بكل طبوع وثقافات متعددة وشعب مضياف ومحترم وغني بتقاليد رائعة جدا مرحبا بك نتشرف بزيارتكم
@mhmdkabaja7667
من السودان نحبكم جدا ايها الشعب العريق ما بفهم الكلمات لكن استمتع جدا بالموسيقي ادمنت فن الطوارق
@luisalbertorosa7433
enterado
@user-yh4yx8tv7h
Mhmd Kabaja شكر طورق سكن الصلين صحري الا كبير
@mohammedabas9862
الزول دا عجيب صاح ..
@kilani091
والله فعلا موسيقى بمبينو روعة ... أخوك من ليبيا و تحية للسودان و لأهلنا التوارق في النيجر و في كل مكان.
@_dz4394
والله حتى انا من الجزائر ادمنت هذا الفنان
@dusandragojlovic9656
I discovered "sahara blues" only recently, so far i love it. I mostly like Bombino, Mdou Moctar and Tinariwen. I'm open to suggestions for what else i should listen to.
@AstralMarmot
Not sure if Ballake Sissoko counts as blues exactly, but holy God can he play the kora. The album "In the Heart of the Full Moon" by Ali Farke Toure and Toumani Diabate is spectacular (those artists have accented letters in their names but I don't know how to do that on my keyboard). And Oum is a Moroccan blues group that kind of has to be heard to be believed. I'm just starting my journey into the many varied African blues that exist and I hope you like these as much as I do.