Etran Finatawa at Ethno Jazz Festival: desert blues and “The Sahara Sessions”

Ethno Jazz Festival is honoured to invite you to the first Polish concert by Niger's Etran Finatawa, regarded as the leading representatives of Saharan “desert blues”. The style is known worldwide through Mali's Tinariwen, who appeared at our festival in 2012.

The concert takes place in the atmospheric Gothic interior of the recently opened Stary Klasztor music club, beside the Market Square at ul. Purkyniego 1.

The Tuareg musicians of Etran Finatawa come to Wrocław with their new album “The Sahara Sessions”, recorded entirely in the Malian desert.

Etran Finatawa have become firmly established in our minds as creators of Tuareg music. Even before their latest album's official release, they were recognised for a unique Saharan blues sound, clearly standing out among the many recordings by other Tuareg bands so popular recently.

Etran Finatawa's strength lies not only in their sound, described as “Tuareg blues”, but above all in their lyrics. They address the complex political situation in Mali, examine the intricate cultural relationships among Niger's people, introduce listeners to nomads' distinctive way of life and, finally, speak without hesitation about economic conditions in their homelands.

“The Sahara Sessions”, released in May by World Music Network, also offers a substantial lesson in ethnic music. Recorded in Mali’s desert, it opens with “Matinfa”, featuring characteristic Tuareg percussion instruments: tendé, calabash and azakalabó. Its title roughly means “What is all this for?”, and it comments openly and boldly on the Sahel region’s political situation. The distinctive atmosphere of music recorded in desert tents is particularly striking in political protest songs such as “An Mataf Germanawen” (Let Us Do It Together) and “Issuad” (Unity).

Musicians outside the band also joined the recordings, spontaneously participating in improvised sessions while visiting their musician friends. “The Sahara Sessions” thus records the people's voice, carrying the Tuaregs' message from deep in the Sahara through music to Europe.

Listen and watch

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