an upcoming psychedelic guitarist from the west African nation of Niger. He says he was inspired by the late Eddie Van Halen but his style is more modern psychedelic with some regional Saharan musical flavorings. He is outstanding, and innovative. He's getting some media attention in the rock press. His shows are filling up the clubs. His lyrics are often in his language Tuareg, but his CD lyric sheets are translated into
English for our benefit. His lyrical themes are generally about life in the western Sahara, the struggles that the Tuareg and other ethnic groups face in the region and his Islamic
faith. He is a 'third
world' musician that Peter
Gabriel seemed to have overlooked.
1. In 2019 I went out to a Mdou Moctar show in my city. I got to meet him and his band, the joint was packed to the max and we were thrilled! The set was
short but sweet, he had only
ONE CD out ('Ilana the Creator') and I have a copy. He also was selling DVDs of a movie that featured a Tuareg version of the 'Purple
Rain' soundtrack. I didn't buy that
one because my
computer doesn't play DVDs from the west
Africa time zone, just like it won't play German DVDs. Rats!
2. During the lockdown, Mdou Moctar and his band made a new CD 'Afrique Victime'and released it last year to universal acclaim. Rolling
Stone magazine gave it a four-star rating out of five. Check it out.
3. I was saddened when I heard Van Halen on
one rock station in my car and the
DJ said 'we'll be back after commercial break'. I then heard Van Halen on another station, then another and it was deja vu - just like when Prince died. All over the dial. I thought, 'Oh shit! Eddie's dead.'. I had seen Van Halen years before and another musical icon of mine had died. Eddie was a major guitar
hero but there are two now that we need to know. Tom Morello of RATM (I saw him subbing in at a Springsteen show and he is WHACK!) and there's Mdou Moctar. Check them BOTH out. Rock'n'roll forever!
4. Mdou Moctar being a Nigerien is a black man and he plays guitar left-handed just like a famous Black American
guy, uh hhh- uh, lemme think! Who's that
guy? C'mon, it's on the tip of my tongue! Uhh, can somebody tell me???? ; )
