Bombino / Group Bombino
Sublime Frequencies Group Bombino :
Guitars from Agadez vol.2 (NI,rec.2007,pub.2009)***°'
Group Bombino is a band gathering around guitarist Omara Mochtar (Bombino), who are based in Agadez, an isolated Tuareg part of Niger. The album is split in two parts (side A and B for the LP).
The first part comes from Bombino’s private archives, is an acoustic set where you can hear his “dry guitar” style (as it was called), influenced by the first generation of Touareg guitarists like Abdulla Oumbadogou and the Tinarwen group, as well as Mali guitarist Ali Farka Toure. This is with a few well fitting background sounds, like a camel drive in the beginning and ending of the first track. They sound like a friend’s gathering with a rhythmic acoustic guitar playing with bluesy touches now and then, following melody lines of songs inside the rhythmic patterns. This musical voice is optimistic and warm, while hand claps and box rhythms accompany the rhythms, and sometimes a second voice joins the song. If a second guitar appears this is softly brushed and is following the trance-like repetitive patterns. This has a rather local but also universally understandable folkie flavour.
The second part is a live recording with a full electric band with drummer, starting already rather up-tempo while the guitar style of the additional guitars remains soft and brushed, they succeed in pushing the vibe, while the lead guitar plays some additional bluesy solos. The part of the singing is not so well recorded, but the quality of the guitar sounds is good enough to make it a satisfying recording. The power of the band becomes incredible, the rhythms are pushed forward further and we hear some nice solos on top of the tranced foundations. “Imouharte”, the second track, is an electric version of “Imuhar” from the first side. More rock power is added to the track hereafter. On the following “Kamu Telyat”, the singing almost disappears in the background, the rhythm remains fast (4/8?) and the distortion of the guitars works hypnotically. On the last track some female backing singers are noticed, and more pushing electric bass patterns, a powerful ending.
The LP version was limited to 1500 copies. I have reviewed the CD version.
Hopefully this series of albums from areas that are hardly reachable (landmines all over the place to the only roads that lead to them), this will give renewed attention to the situation of the Tuaregs. For them, these electric recordings showed their way of expressing their identity. Last thing I heard is that Bombino was exiled to Ougadougou, Burkina Faso because of the rebellion of the Tuareg nomads against the indifference of their situation by the Nigerian government.
Cumbancha Discovery Bombino : Agadez (NI,2011)****
Omara Moctar who was quickly called ‘Bombino’ (as a worthy descendant, a child from a matriarchal tradition), is one of the Toareg guitarists who got some attention. Being involved in the Toareg rebellions, being forced to search for refuge and finding it in Agadez, but having lived in Algeria, Niger and Lybia for the same reasons it becomes clear that his music and songs are also the expression of a renewed foundation of Touareg identity. As early as 2006 Bombino had traveled to California with the band Tidawt where he recorded a desert blues version of the Rolling Stones song "Hey Negrita" alongside Stones' members Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, a track which appeared on ‘Stone's World: The Rolling Stones Project Volume 2’ (2008). More recordings were done since 2006. I have already reviewed one Group Bombino release (see above this one), which was reissued last year. In 2009 filmmaker Ron Wyman who liked the tapes he heard from Bombino's music while traveling near Agadez, was enchanted by Bombino's music and spent a year seeking Bombino out, finally tracing him in Burkina Faso, where he included him in his Touareg movie. The movie and CD are associated with one another so I guess the recording sessions are done at the same occasion. The music is professionally recorded. So the rawness and rebellious tension and the distortions, which we heard on the Subliminal Frequencies releases, are no longer present. This is a relaxed mode, a warm desert blues with hope and positive, let’s say united visions. There is no rush, and the rhythms are repetitive, often imitations of hand claps. Of course there a few real blues influences, the foundations remain song expressions played upon steady rhythms. ‘Bombino’ says he picked up his guitar influences from the examples of Tinarwen, and from listening to Ali Faka Touré, Jimi Hendrix and even watching Dire Straits on a video. Bombino’s singing is soft, and in fact reveals a portion of contentment and celebration now. The most expressive track perhaps is “Another life” which becomes danceable rock and where there is taken care to have an electric guitar solo on top, a longer and more hypnotic track. The last track is with acoustic guitar shows how his soft voice fits with this very well too. Different circumstances might lead to different sounds and expressions.
Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar, vocals, lead guitar ; Kawissan Mohammed, guitar ; Ibrahim Emoud Atchingui, drums with guests Eds Lucie, bass guitar ; Chris Decato rhythm guitar ; Ghissa Tshoda (Lalo), calabash, Joe Galeato, Chris Decato, Ron Wyman, Mohammed Serge, percussion..
