Winner of the BBC World Music Award 2005 "Africa" and Nominee for the "Critics Choice"

"Tinariwen" means in the language of the Touareg "deserted places" and reflects their heritage as nomads in the Sahara desert. Tinariwen make rebel music in the true meaning of the word- in fact a first formation of the band was founded in one of Ghadaffi’s rebel camps in Lybia, they took part in the Touareg rebellions in Mali. The image of the warrior with a gun in one hand and a guitar strapped on his back is very common in the Touareg culture and is a symbol for their life between fight and poetry. The music was banned and carried through the countries via cassettes, as a medium of propaganda for the rebellion. Nevertheless the music shouldn’t only be seen in this context, but stands for itself in its global appeal.

On their fender guitars they play the desert blues, that speaks of loneliness, the loss of comrades in battle, of their life in exile and the disappointment after the return . For the most parts they have replaced the traditional Touareg instrumentation by electric guitars, diverse influences ranging from Rock to Bob Marley melt with the old touareg melodies. Now their second album "Amassakoul" has been released, the successor to their debut, the" Radio Tisdas Sessions", in which they have furthermore developed their musical ideas and has been critically acclaimed. It comes as no surprise that they are sometimes referred to as the "Rolling Stones of the Sahara" by the press.

Recently the "rebells" earned some more awards with their recent album "Amassakoul" – beside their BBC World Music Award 2005 in the "Afrika" category and being third placed for the "Critics Award".