The venue is encouragingly full for desert blues band Tamikrest's first appearance in Newcastle and there is a wide range of ages in the wonderful Hall 2. The band, from Northern Mali, are all about struggle and protest and the songs reflect their radical views on women's rights and the role of youth in the country. Recently Mali has been caught up in that struggle between the Government, radical Muslim fundamentalists, Al-Qaeda and the Toureg tribes to whom Tamikrest belong. This complex mix resulted, at one stage, in music being banned! The band have found themselves at the centre of that struggle when their female singer's husband was murdered, a crime that remains unsolved.
Tonight though the emphasis is on the music and spectacle as the musicians in their colourful desert robes take the stage to warm applause. The music is dominated by Ousmane Ag Mossad's spiky guitar and mesmeric vocals whilst their outstanding female singer Wonou Walet Sadati (who recently defected from Tinariwen) provides rhythmic handclaps and thrilling high pitched yelps and chanted vocals. The music is spiritual and mesmeric and a soulful five string bass anchors the whole thing down whilst lush four part harmonies give the whole stew a trance like feel.
The centre piece of the masterful 90 minute set is a stunning acoustic section with four guitars and tabla drum with a bluesy steel guitar running through the core of the music. The sound of Tamikrest is the sound of the shifting desert sands with flecks of reggae. Ousmane's stinging bluesy runs recalls the great delta blues men with the look and sound of a young Peter Green. The night ends on a high with the crowd stomping along with the shimmering desert blues.
Their new album "Chatma" (meaning "Sisters"), is pretty much played in its entirety tonight and is an excellent introduction to this fine African band and is well worth investigating.
Words: Greg Johnson
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