Album Review: Kidal by Tamikrest

As such, it's difficult to describe Kidal - named after the town where the band first got together - without mentioning a certain group of more seasoned Desert Blues practitioners. However, it'd hugely unfair to describe Tamikrest as merely Tinariwen Jr. Although the likes of the mesmerising opener "Mawarniha Tartit" cultivate a loping, unhurried groove, there's nothing laidback whatsoever about Kidal.

Full Review >>

Tamikrest’s newest album, Kidal, is named for the West African band’s hometown, an oft-embattled commune in the vast deserts of northern Mali. Kidal has long been a cultural center of the region, and although it’s home of uprisings and war, it’s also a source of strength for the Tuareg people who live there and, at one point, claimed it as part of an independent state. As such, this album is a tribute to Kidal and its people.

Full Review >>