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.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Herald Scotland.
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
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XPIJONpsY, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Spursguy, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Chez, Chortle.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Dan McCaid, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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John Robins, Comedian
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com