A symbol for Tuareg resistance and poetry since 1979, Tinariwen blends blues with Saharan traditions to create a unique output that has turned the heads of artists from Robert Plant to José González, and mesmerised WOMADelaide audiences since their first appearance in 2004.

Founded in Northern Mali, the band are pioneers of the assouf style (‘nostalgia’ in the Tamasheq language), bringing Tuareg stories to the world stage. Beginning their career as a wedding band, bootlegged tapes helped the now GRAMMY-winning collective to gain a following across the Sahara, but it was an opportunity to tour in France with French folk ensemble Lo’Jo that catapulted them into the mainstream consciousness. The Radio Tisdas Sessions, released in 2001 and produced by Robert Plant’s guitarist Justin Adams, prompted the Led Zepplin’s singer to proclaim, “This was the music I’d been looking for all my life.” Now on their tenth studio album, Tinariwen are award-winning globetrotters who have left their mark through a marriage of traditional drums with electric guitars and immersive storytelling.

Almost 50 years later, the band are still dedicated to spreading awareness of the plight of the Tuareg people: “We want people to hear that in our land, our people and our animals are being killed, and we need to find a way to make peace. Until that happens, we have no choice but to continue singing.”