When world music artists collaborate with Western acts, our inner Rousseau, with his patronising vision of the noble savage pumping out some exotic groove from an ancient wellspring of innate good taste, is usually severely compromised.
It turns out all your favourite developing world star really wanted to do was duet with some embarrassing rock aristocrat like Sting, rather than genuflect at the altar of consensus approved cool things. Tinariwen, the Tuareg nomads, and former tooled-up freedom fighters, currently pushing another helping of their streamlined Saharan blues, remain unsullied.
They’re the world music band you can take to the Uncut awards without worrying they’re going to get off with Chris Rea.
The opener here, Imidiwan Ma Tenam, features the American free improviser and Wilco collaborator Nels Cline on extra texture, Tenere Taqhim Tossam deploys members of Brooklyn’s post-rockers TV On The Radio, and this Christmas the band play at the Minehead Butlin’s hipsters’ love-in All Tomorrow’s Parties.
Their fifth album finds them out of the studio, recording alfresco under the stars, and sounds again like every great white, twin guitar band you ever loved – from Television to Thin White Rope – gone native at the source of the blues, and fronted by sun-blinded snake-charmers, clicking their fingers and swaying to an irresistible gravitational swell.
Few of this music’s inheritors channel the spirits so powerfully. And those still weeping for John Lee Hooker, or his Malian opposite number Ali Farka Toure, need look no further than Tamiditin Tan Ufrawan or Tiliaden Osamnat for a taste of the cyclical hypno-blues they believed forgotten for ever.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries