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.
Arhegh Danagh
Tinariwen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wi dàr tidawàgh ad dàr djegh isdiwàn
Tàrha n-idjodàgh
Tolàh d-eylàl
S-afàl tin-tikked
Ad hak iba e-ihàl
Tàrha n-iman-in ibas hid tammàr
Iksànaqqàm diha-hid tizzdjàr
Tidit ta-legh ibas e-tiffàr
The lyrics to Tinariwen's song "Arhegh Danagh" are written in Tamasheq, one of the Berber languages of the Sahara. The first two lines roughly translate to "I have come with empty hands/Only to see my people," a sentiment that speaks to the displacement experienced by the Tuareg people who make up Tinariwen. The following lines describe the harsh conditions of the desert and the struggle for survival, with lines like "The way is rough/The sun scorches/The desert is vast/How can I endure?" conveying the physical challenges of desert life.
The lyrics also touch on themes of unity and perseverance in the face of hardship. The lines "Let us turn towards the same horizon/With a single heart/Let us climb the difficult slope/With determination" speak to the need for solidarity among the Tuareg people and the importance of working together to overcome the challenges they face.
Line by Line Meaning
Arhegh ad ànnàgh imidiwàn
I wake up to the sound of camels, in the middle of the desert
Wi dàr tidawàgh ad dàr djegh isdiwàn
With my fellow nomads, we go from camp to camp
Tàrha n-idjodàgh
We gather around the fire
Tolàh d-eylàl
Dancing and singing into the night
S-afàl tin-tikked
Tents scattered across the sand
Ad hak iba e-ihàl
A peaceful and serene atmosphere
Màràw iwityan-nàkk a legh id hid tifàl
But memories of my homeland ache in my heart
Tàrha n-iman-in ibas hid tammàr
We come together to remember our history
Iksànaqqàm diha-hid tizzdjàr
Sharing stories of struggle and triumph
Tidit ta-legh ibas e-tiffàr
Keeping the spirit of our ancestors alive
Writer(s): Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
Contributed by Alex L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ferox35
Friends, every day companions
I want to tell you this:
Love these days is like a mirage.
It gets fainter the closer you get.
For ten longs years,
I lost my one true love.
Love no longer crosses my path.
Truth, how I hate you
When you emerge from me.
My truth will no longer be hidden.
@alianf5105
Arhegh ad ànnàgh imidiwàn
Wi dàr tidawàgh ad dàr djegh isdiwàn
Chorus
Tàrha n-idjodàgh
Tolàh d-eylàl
S-afàl tin-tikked
Ad hak iba e-ihàl
Chorus
Màràw iwityan-nàkk a legh id hid tifàl
Tàrha n-iman-in ibas hid tammàr
Chorus
Iksànaqqàm diha-hid tizzdjàr
Tidit ta-legh ibas e-tiffàr
Chorus
Friends, every day companions
I want to tell you this:
Love these days is like a mirage.
It gets fainter the closer you get.
For ten longs years,
I lost my one true love.
Love no longer crosses my path.
Truth, how I hate you
When you emerge from me.
My truth will no longer be hidden."
Peace and love
@windasafriend
3 years late, but here it is:
"Arhegh ad ànnàgh imidiwàn
Wi dàr tidawàgh ad dàr djegh isdiwàn
Chorus
Tàrha n-idjodàgh
Tolàh d-eylàl
S-afàl tin-tikked
Ad hak iba e-ihàl
Chorus
Màràw iwityan-nàkk a legh id hid tifàl
Tàrha n-iman-in ibas hid tammàr
Chorus
Iksànaqqàm diha-hid tizzdjàr
Tidit ta-legh ibas e-tiffàr
Chorus
Friends, every day companions
I want to tell you this:
Love these days is like a mirage.
It gets fainter the closer you get.
For ten longs years,
I lost my one true love.
Love no longer crosses my path.
Truth, how I hate you
When you emerge from me.
My truth will no longer be hidden."
Peace and love
@manuelaraujo4869
So in love with this sound !!! peace to all the world
@ferox35
Friends, every day companions
I want to tell you this:
Love these days is like a mirage.
It gets fainter the closer you get.
For ten longs years,
I lost my one true love.
Love no longer crosses my path.
Truth, how I hate you
When you emerge from me.
My truth will no longer be hidden.
@amazighauresdjurdjurahogga988
Algéria , tunisia , morroco , libye , ile canarie , mali , senegal , mauritanie , south egypte ,,, we will rebuild our great Nation Numidia , as our ancestor,
@thinkbikini5096
Ohh I really hope so for the best! Timbuktian in Australia
@TheManouchePlayer
ha ha ha, sure then. Why don't you clame Ceuta & Melilla, being, definetely under Moroccan territories but " offered " to Spain ?
Well, this wasn't a question actually, you'll never tell an Algerian how freedom is a right even a fight, something that our Moroccan brothers seem misunderstanding it.
Peace :)
@x-libertad8386
Algeri🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿
@mb8kr
@Semper Fortis Bechar and Timdouf wouldn't and does not want to be Moroccan not even in million years, if you ask me.
@nervousguy1503
ⴰⵢⵓⵣ
@windasafriend
I am so in love with their music. I cannot believe I have never heard of them until recently.
@camiloaguirre260
Best Touareg band ever!!