Desert Blues comes to Levitt
By John Sollenberger 08/14/2008
One normally doesn’t associate guitars with Sahara sands. However, for some four decades, the Tuareg, nomadic herders from the region, have picked up guitars and incorporated modern sounds into their traditional music that was based on the walking rhythms of the camels they herded. Facing famine and political unrest in their homelands, younger Tuaregs went abroad to find work. While in exile, they organized a rebellion, with some returning to their desert home to fight for the survival of their culture with guns and guitars. An example of the musical revolution comes to Levitt Pavilion Friday night as Tidawt performs a style that’s come to be known as “Desert Blues.”
Tidawt (meaning “together”) was formed in 1994 by Hasso Akotey in Niger. Since then, they’ve exploded onto the international scene, playing the Exposition Tuareg in Paris in 1996, numerous other European and African festivals and the American Tour for the Nomad Foundation in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2007. In 2006, the three-piece group recorded with the Rolling Stones as part of the “Stones World” project and performed with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart in San Francisco. Read about the Tuareg movement at www.nomadfoundation.org/music.html
Music starts at 8 p.m. Friday at Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena’s Memorial Park, corner of Holly Street and Raymond Avenue. Call (626) 683-3230.
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