Imarhan (ALG)
Imarhan (ALG)
The Algerian Imarhan, which started in 2006 and released its first album in 2016, is one of the leading groups of the new wave of Tuareg music. Even with this self-titled debut album, they managed to stand out among the already active desert blues performers (Tinariwen, Bambino, Tamikrest, Dirtmusic, Mdou Moctar) at that time. While their debut album was rooted in the meditative tradition of desert blues, their second album, the 2018 Temet, goes beyond this, gaining momentum by incorporating funk, fuzz, disco, and rock elements into their sound. With this material, they were much closer to the sound that characterizes their live performances: offering an ecstatic, captivating performance. Their latest release to date, the 2022 Aboogi, is characterized again by more meditative, hypnotic-melancholic moods – for the first time, we can see this amazing ensemble in Hungary.
Imarhan was long only active as a touring band, and the experience of countless live performances made their music focused and unique. Instead of merely traversing the desert, these nomadic travelers now roam the world, contemplating the challenges of the present. Their album Temet means 'connections' in the Tamachek language, and Imarhan uses this as an energetic wake-up call for unity, to remind people that we are all interconnected, and it is only through the acceptance of these connections that we will be able to solve problems and bridge the ever-growing gap between cultures. Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane (also known as Sadam) puts it this way: “We must love each other, everyone should know their neighbor. We should think the same as our ancestors did. We should accept the knowledge of an elderly person who knows the world and passes their knowledge to their children.” The band's latest album also features Gruff Rhys, the former frontman of the indie giant Super Furry Animals, on one track.