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.
Sastanaqqam
Tinariwen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Indek tifut n- imidiwàn
Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa
Aynayàn wàràn issindjày
Tissanàd tabaràt
S- àkkoz itran dàgh ichinnawàn
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa
Aynayàn wàràn issindjày
Tissanàd tabaràt
S- àkkoz itran dàgh ichinnawàn
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Indek tifut n-imidiwàn
Tissanàd umàgh I-aman
Dàgh-idàggàn wàràn anfalàl
Tissanàd asissinkàr
Dat adu indid inkàr
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Indek tifut n- imidiwàn
Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa
Aynayàn wàràn issindjày
Tissanàd tabaràt
S- àkkoz itran dàgh ichinnawàn
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Indek immik was mad nàrti
Nàkk d- kàmm wàr nànmàksàn
Nàkk idjodadàgh nilmàd tekle
Isikilàn djer ikallàn
Ténéré Ténéré Ténéré naghehàd-kàmm
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Indek tifut n- imidiwàn
Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa
Aynayàn wàràn issindjày
Tissanàd tabaràt
S- àkkoz itran dàgh ichinnawàn
The lyrics of Tinariwen’s Sastanàqqàm seems to be a reflection on the Ténéré desert, located in the Sahara. One interpretation of the song could be the lament of a member of the Tuareg people, who are indigenous to the region and whose way of life is threatened by the encroachment of outsiders. This is represented metaphorically by the lines, “Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa,” which may refer to the displacement of Tuareg language and customs by outside forces. The desert, traditionally viewed as a place of peace and solitude by the Tuareg, is now disrupted by war and conflict, represented by the lines, “Dàgh-idàggàn wàràn anfalàl/Tissanàd asissinkàr/Dat adu indid inkàr.”
The song also seems to be an ode to the Ténéré desert, which holds a special place in the history and culture of the Tuareg people. The lines “Tissanàd umàgh I-aman” and “Ténéré Ténéré Ténéré naghehàd-kàmm” could be interpreted to mean that the desert is a place of honor and reverence, and that it holds great meaning and significance for those who call it home.
Overall, Sastanàqqàm is a complex exploration of the relationship between people and land, and how outside forces can disrupt that relationship. It speaks to the struggles of a people trying to preserve their customs and way of life in the face of changing times and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ténéré sastanàqqàm
Oh desert, so beautiful and pure
Indek tifut n- imidiwàn
Where the souls of the Tuareg are lost
Tiled tasnit, tiled achàkwa
The sand is white, the sky is blue
Aynayàn wàràn issindjày
The eyes do not get tired
Tissanàd tabaràt
The sounds of the tambourine
S- àkkoz itran dàgh ichinnawàn
Mixed with the strings of the guitar
Tissanàd umàgh I-aman
The sounds of the mother of the waters
Dàgh-idàggàn wàràn anfalàl
The heart seems to want to leave
Tissanàd asissinkàr
The sounds of the stars
Dat adu indid inkàr
Are heard in the silence of the night
Indek immik was mad nàrti
Where the spirits roam endlessly
Nàkk d- kàmm wàr nànmàksàn
I come to tell you about our sufferings
Nàkk idjodadàgh nilmàd tekle
I come to talk about our beautiful land
Isikilàn djer ikallàn
With all its culture and traditions
Ténéré Ténéré Ténéré naghehàd-kàmm
Desert, desert, desert, you are my home
Writer(s): Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni
Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alexrossimartin3538
@@rachedzater2919
My greetings.
Please, is it pronounced ''TARGHEE'', ''TARDJEE'' or ''TARJEE?''
Thank you.
Alex Rossimartin,
Sete (7L) Lagoas,
MIN/\S GER🔺ES,
Dyst(r)opic Braz(s)illness,
in Augustus 14, 2020.
@racimboudjakdji4861
@@jilaliakchiwen2479
Really ?
I live in Tlemcen and my ancestors died defending our city against christians while yours requested their help...
Who the hell are you to day I do not know my city's history ?
You must be from Morroco...(Only Morrocans write DJILLALI as JILALI and simply have no clue about Tlemcen's history)...
@Tooshido
Translation of the lyrics is : (O desert, I ask you where are the long gone friends. I have a water bag with no hole in it . I know my way with the four stars in the sky. I know the sources of water in dry places. I know my paths in the sandstorms desert, O desert i promised you.) Long live the desert warriors long live Africa
@Saras01
Thanks for this
@Tooshido
@@Saras01 you're welcome
@hypergurl2020
🙏🏿🙏🏿💞🙏🏿🙏🏿
@wolfvopo1502
Thanks for this translation gives really insights to me as I traveled before various deserts, Sahara still to come!
@isapuka
Gracias!
@eminakben1
1:35 an electric guitar on a camel might be the coolest thing ever.
@BRILL-vb1jy
As perhaps simplistic and silly as it may be to say, it indeed, might be the coolest thing ever.
@othmansaoud8636
bensaid quatarienne.
@ubuntuber1619
that's an album art you are looking at my friend.