Formed in 1982, in strikingly unusual circumstances for a musical ensemble, Tinariwen blend ancient musical traditions with radical contemporary politics. Despite severe natural and man-made hardships, young Kel Tamashek exiles continued performing the traditional music of their Tuareg forebears in the southern Sahara while simultaneously fighting against the government of Mali.
Forced to seek an alternative to starvation and repression in drought-stricken Mali, many of these young nomads hoped to attain a better life by striking up what proved to be an uneasy alliance with Libya. The hoped-for aid in their struggle with the Mali government failed to materialize, but in the meantime some of the rebels had evolved a form of music that kept alive the music of their forefathers while simultaneously communicating radical political messages. This music is known as tishoumaren, music of the ishumar (the unemployed). Usually performed by groups of 30 and more instrumentalists and singers, tishoumaren acknowledges contemporary western music, especially rock, as well as other music forms prevalent in the Middle East, while never losing touch with the original ancient form. In some instances, players not only adapt traditional forms but also substitute modern instruments for the traditional lutes, flutes and one-string violins. The electric guitar in particular has become popular, even though circumstances demand the availability of portable generators.
The name chosen by this band, Tinariwen, means empty places, thus maintaining a further link to the vast desert regions of the southern Sahara. The musicians include Said Ag Ayad, Alhassane Ag Touhami, Eyadou Ag Leche, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Abdallah Ag Lamida, Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and Bassa Walet Abdoumou.
The music itself is spare and haunting, an aural reflection of those same open spaces. The lyrics of their songs, perhaps more accurately termed sung poetry, carry outspoken political thought that draws attention not only to repression in Mali, but also to the enforced exile of many and the continuing struggle for self-determination of the Tuareg nomads. Song structures are many and varied and include elemental call-and-response patterns as well as (to western ears) discordant notes that call to mind the blue notes favoured by western blues and jazz players overlaid upon a solid four-beat rhythmic foundation that is itself uncommon to the region although compatible with much western popular music.
Tinariwen's first recordings were to cassette, sales and even possession of which carried harsh penalties in Mali and Algeria. In the early 00s, availability of albums encouraged more widespread awareness of the music and its underlying political messages.
Aldachan Manin
Tinariwen Lyrics
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Of searching for that which is not
I search and I ask God
How can I fall asleep and wake up
Without memories, without suffering
The spirit free like
Someone in love
In life we only follow
Until it disappears, after a bend
Buried like a lost truth
Since birth
I have lived like that
And since the first day
Of my life, I walk
The memory of a love in my head
In my heart and in my bones
The lyrics to Tinariwen's song "Aldachan Manin" express a deep sense of weariness and longing for something that cannot be found. The singer is tired of searching for something that they cannot identify, and turns to God in the hope of finding some relief from their search. They long for a life where they can sleep and wake up without memories or suffering, where their spirit is free like someone in love.
The singer reflects on the nature of life, where we are all searching for love and chasing it endlessly until it disappears around a bend. They feel as though they have been living like this since birth, and despite their weariness, they continue to walk forward in life with the memory of a love in their head, heart, and bones.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal human experience of searching for something that seems just out of reach, and the hope that we can one day find some kind of peace and freedom from our endless quest.
Line by Line Meaning
Tired I'm tired
I am exhausted
Of searching for that which is not
Of seeking something that does not exist
I search and I ask God
I look for answers from a higher power
How can I fall asleep and wake up
How can I rest and start anew
Without memories, without suffering
Without past pain and hurt
The spirit free like
My soul is liberated like
Someone in love
A person who is infatuated
In life we only follow
In this world, we merely pursue
Love and then we run after it
Love is sought, chased
Until it disappears, after a bend
Till it vanishes, behind a corner
Buried like a lost truth
Lost as if it were never real
Since birth
Since I was born
I have lived like that
I have lived in this way
And since the first day
Since my beginning
Of my life, I walk
I have been wandering
The memory of a love in my head
The recollection of a relationship in my mind
In my heart and in my bones
Within my soul and being
Writer(s): Ag Alhabib Ibrahim
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.