Etran Finatawa

Among the grasslands of the Sahel and the shifting sand dunes of the Sahara desert, two legendary nomadic peoples, the Wodabe and Tuareg, are joined together in the raunchy guitars and haunting voices of Etran Finatawa.  The first group ever to unite these two distinct cultures, these five musicians reflect on their roots with a nostalgia and warmth that mirrors the majesty of their desert home in Niger, one of the three poorest countries in the World, landlocked by Mali, Algeria, Lybia, Chad and Nigeria.

However, sitting as the desert crossroads between the Berber and Arab cultures of the North and the sub-Saharan cultures of the South their country has a rich cultural heritage, which they impart through their concerts and workshops via music, dance, vocals and costume.Singing in two different languages, Tuareg Tamashek and Wodaabe Fulfulde, they convey tales of nomadic life, of isolation and liberty, of extreme hardship and poverty, of a harsh climate, of life giving animals and handsome beasts, of festivities and families, of stars and desert storms.

Their music creates a soundscape of the grasslands of the Sahel and the arid desert and their nomadic lifestyle, where they move with their camels, long-horned cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys seeking pastures along the Sahelian savannah at the fringes of the South Sahara. And as climate change affects the environment in their region, they tell of the threat to their traditional  ways of life, forcing them to adapt to find more sustainable methods for their very survival.

 

Since the release of their BBC Award nomintaed first album in 2006 the group has toured Worldwide and their most recent album, "Desert Crossroads", has received excellent reviews in the national press.

'Wailing, twisting songs as gritty as the desert wind'. 4**** stars Robin Denselow SONGLINES.

Guardian 4****

Financial Times 4****

Jazzwise 4****

Evening Standard 4****

 

 In addition to thier concerts Etran Finatawa offer an educational package, "Niger - the rolling music workshop"

In these workshops the Wodaabe members will demonstrate their traditional Wodaabe chants and accompany their vocal music with the traditional calabasse (gourd) drums and a slow motion type of movement verging on dance and handclapping. They will also display their traditional long embroidered tunics, leather hose, turbans with ostrich feathers and the face paint of yellow spots and stripes used to enhance their features. The Tuareg members have always used a variety of stringed instruments, tende drums and vocal ululations to animate their songs and dances but since the 1970’s have used a guitar in a style called Ichumar – it will be explained that this style came out of their rebellion and exile in Libya.

They will sing in two different languages, Tuareg Tamashek and Wodaabe Fulfulde, which will convey tales of nomadic life, of isolation and liberty, of extreme hardship and poverty, of a harsh climate, of life giving animals and handsome beasts, of festivities and families, of stars and desert storms. Some of their songs are healing songs as the music is a therapy in both cultures.

Their music will create a sound picture of the grasslands of the Sahel and the arid desert and explain the nomadic lifestyle, where they move with their camels, long-horned cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys seeking pastures along the Sahelian savannah at the fringes of the South Sahara. They will also allude to the effects which climate change is having on the environment in their region, threatening their traditional  ways of life and forcing them to adapt to find more sustainable methods.

They will be accompanied by their manager of 8 years and interpreter Sanda van Edig, who speaks fluent French, German and English; some members of the group speak French and through Sandra will field questions and answers.

To see them in action in Niger click onwww.jeanmolitor.de/foto/afrika-niger then scroll down to the Vimeo of Etran Finatawa.