Imarhan Timbuktu
Clermont Music Imarhan Timbuktu :
Akal Warled/Foreign Country -LP/CD- (ML,2014)***°
Imarhan Timbuktu was formed in 1995, and consists today of Mohamed Issa aka Medissa, with his brother Ousmane Ag Oumar El Arisari on guitar, and their sisters, on percussion and backing vocals: Fadimata Walet Oumar (from Tartit) and Zeina Walel.
The album is about the hardship in refugee camps in Mauritania, Burkino Faso, Niger and Algeria, while preferring to return to Mali. The diamond design on the front cover refers as ornament and luck bringer for the Touareg women. Touaregs often pay most tribute and respect to their women and the role of their women. Contrary to the Arab world, for the Touaregs, women are the heart of society. But then, there’s also a personal story to this association. Because Mohamed fell in love with a woman who was already married, he started to play guitar to compensate for his lost feelings and give this again a new direction and strong purpose. Here his desire for unity focuses himself onto the separation experienced in the refugee camp while desiring to get unified with his own group and country, led by an inner voice, which are again the women. It speaks about identity trying to integrate into the modern world of expressions.
In general, one can feel not just this desire, in the tradition of certain repetitive patterns, in the lead vocals and responses. In a way, the effect of this combination contrary to the loss gains by still feeling happy and engaged in this group’s energy. The lead singing gets strummed and accentuating repetitions in the melody rhythms guitar playing response. You can hear soft handclap-alike rhythms and some well-produced sounds of a softer bass section. These first few tracks have a slightly more acoustic feel. From the third track onwards the guitars become more electric and the bass as well, which gives them a hypnotic effect. The 4th track, “For The Women” even gets more original with the use of an extra fast breathing, as a very hypnotic element. From the 6th track onwards, it is coming back to rest again, with relaxed rhythms and playing. On the last conclusive track it is starting to feel that we heard these sort of patterns and rhythms before, but still we received it's message and vibe loud and clear. And it still feels like a contributing message to the world.
