tinariwen

At four years old, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib witnessed the execution of his father, a Tuareg rebel, during a 1963 uprising in Mali.{{Cite news|last=Rohter|first=Larry|date=31 August 2011|title=Blues From the Desert, Recorded On-Site|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/arts/music/tinariwens-tassili-desert-blues-recorded-on-site.html|access-date=21 May 2021|issn=0362-4331}} After seeing a western film in which a cowboy played a guitar,{{cite web|last=Tewksbury|first=Drew|date=28 October 2011|title=Tinariwen: Spreading the Saharan blues wherever it roams|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-oct-28-la-et-tinariwen-20111028-story.html|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} Ag Alhabib built his own guitar out of a "plastic water can, a stick and some fishing wire", according to future bandmate Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni.{{cite web |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/02560-tinariwen-the-story-behind-the-guns-and-guitars| website=The Quietus |title=Tinariwen: Behind The Guns And Guitars |first=Ben |last=Hewitt |date=24 August 2009 |access-date=10 August 2019}} During his childhood, Ag Alhabib lived in Algeria in refugee camps near Bordj Badji Mokhtar and in the deserts around the southern city of Tamanrasset, where he was given a guitar by an Algerian man, who also taught him how to play the Algerian style of Tergui music.{{cite web|url=http://www.andymorganwrites.com/tinariwen-sons-of-the-desert/|title=TINARIWEN – Sons of the desert|author=Morgan, Andy|publisher=Songlines|date=February 2007|access-date=25 January 2013}}

Later, Ag Alhabib resided in Algeria and Libya with other Tuareg exiles. He acquired his first real acoustic guitar in 1979.{{cite web|title=Tinariwen : Documentary Clip|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsrxQaj2jCQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/fsrxQaj2jCQ| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|website=Youtube.com}}{{cbignore}} During this period he formed a band with Alhassane Ag Touhami and brothers Inteyeden and Liya Ag Ablil to play at parties and weddings.{{cite web |url=http://tinariwen.com/bio-eng/ |title=Home |website=Tinariwen |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117221754/http://tinariwen.com/bio-eng/ |archive-date=17 January 2014 |url-status=dead}} While the group had no official name, people began to call them Kel Tinariwen, which in the Tamashek language translates as "The People of the Deserts" or "The Desert Boys".{{cite web|title=Tinariwen brings message of peace from African desert|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2017/04/20/Tinariwen-Elwan-Pittsburgh-Carnegie-of-Homestead-Music-Hall-Abdallah-Ag-Alhousseyni-Eyadou-Ag-Leche-Kurt-Vile/stories/201704200005|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|language=en}}

In 1980 Libyan ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi put out a decree inviting all young Tuareg men who were living illegally in Libya to receive full military training. Gaddafi dreamed of forming a Saharan regiment, made up of young Tuareg fighters, to further his territorial ambitions in Chad, Niger, and elsewhere in the region.{{cite web|last=Gwin|first=Peter|date=31 August 2011|title=Former Qaddafi Mercenaries Describe Fighting in Libyan War|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/former-qaddafi-mercenaries-describe-fighting-in-libyan-war/244356/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=The Atlantic|language=en}} Ag Alhabib and his bandmates answered the call and received nine months of training.{{Cite magazine|last=Romig|first=Rollo|title=Rebel Music: The Tuareg Uprising in 12 Songs by Tinariwen| url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/rebel-music-the-tuareg-uprising-in-12-songs-by-tinariwen|access-date=21 May 2021| magazine= The New Yorker|date=2 April 2012|language=en-US}} During such exercises, the band met additional Tuareg musicians and formed a loosely-organized collective to create songs about the issues facing the Tuareg people. They built a makeshift studio and vowed to record music for free for anyone who supplied a blank cassette tape. The resulting homemade cassettes were traded widely throughout the Sahara region.{{cite web|title=Tinariwen|url=https://www.platform-mag.com/music/tinariwen.html|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.platform-mag.com}}

In 1989 the collective left Libya and moved to Ag Alhabib's home country of Mali, where he returned to his home village of Tessalit for the first time in 26 years.{{cite web|last=Maxwell|first=Jackson|title=Desert rock band Tinariwen to headline the Iron Horse| url=https://dailycollegian.com/2014/03/desert-rock-band-tinariwen-to-headline-the-iron-horse/| access-date=21 May 2021| website=Massachusetts Daily Collegian}} In 1990 the Tuareg people of Mali revolted against the government, with some of the musicians of the collective participating as rebel fighters. After a peace agreement known as the Tamanrasset Accords was reached in January 1991, the musicians left the rebel movement and devoted themselves to music full-time.{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=9 December 2015|title='Live in Paris' by Tinariwen Review|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/live-in-paris-by-tinariwen-review-1449697911|access-date=21 May 2021|issn=0099-9660}} In 1991, some members of Tinariwen went to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to record a cassette at JBZ Studios and the album Kel Tinariwen was released later that year.{{Cite web |url=https://allmusic.com/album/mw0003793771 |title=Tinariwen – Kel Tinariwen |language=en-US |website=AllMusic |publisher=RhythmOne |accessdate=2024-01-19 |first=Matt |last=Collar |date=n.d.}} They played occasional gigs for far-flung Tuareg communities throughout the Sahara region, gaining word-of-mouth popularity among the Tuareg people.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

In 1993, the Tuareg humanitarian Manny Ansar became the group's manager.{{cite web | title=About | website=Tinariwen | url=https://www.tinariwen.com/About | access-date=30 November 2022}} Ansar initially organized concerts for the collective in Bamako, until realizing that there was international demand for Tuareg music. Tinariwen was then organized as an official band with about a dozen named members.{{cite interview| interviewer-first=Deguet| interviewer-last= Koné| first= Manny| last=Ansar| url=https://afropop.org/articles/36707| date=6 June 2017| website= Afropop Worldwide| title=Manny Ansar Reflects on the Festival au Desert in Timbuktu |access-date=1 December 2022}} In 1998, Tinariwen came to the attention of the French world music ensemble Lo'Jo and their manager Philippe Brix. That group traveled to a music festival in Bamako and met two members of the Tinariwen collective.{{cite news|date=18 September 2011|title=Tinariwen/Lo'Jo, Shepherds Bush Empire, London|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/tinariwen-lo-jo-shepherds-bush-empire-london-765562.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/tinariwen-lo-jo-shepherds-bush-empire-london-765562.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=21 May 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}} In 1999, some members of Tinariwen traveled to France and performed with Lo'Jo under the name Azawad.{{cite web|title=Rock Paper Scissors – Festival in the Desert DVD – Interview|url=http://archive.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.articles_detail/project_id/176/article_id/2829.cfm|access-date=21 May 2021|website=archive.rockpaperscissors.biz}}

In 2001, Ansar organized the inaugural Festival au Désert in Tin Essako, Mali,{{Cite news |author=Jon Pareles |date=19 February 2010 |title=Hot Breath of Saharan Rock Blows in From Africa |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/arts/music/20highline.html?scp=1&sq=tinariwen&st=cse}} in collaboration with Lo'Jo and the Belgian Sfinks Festival, with Tinariwen headlining. Their debut full-length album, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, was recorded by Justin Adams and Jean-Paul Romann at the radio station of the same name in Kidal, Mali (the only Tamashek-speaking station in the region) and released in 2001.{{Citation|title=The Radio Tisdas Sessions – Tinariwen {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-radio-tisdas-sessions-mw0000210056|language=en|access-date=21 May 2021}} It was Tinariwen's first recording to be released outside of northern Africa.

Since 2001 Tinariwen have toured regularly in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Also since 2001 the collective has added several younger Tuareg musicians who did not live through the military conflicts experienced by the older members but have contributed to the collective's multi-generational evolution. Newer members include bassist Eyadou Ag Leche, percussionist Said Ag Ayad, guitarist Elaga Ag Hamid, and guitarist Abdallah Ag Lamida.

Their 2004 album Amassakoul ("The Traveller" in Tamashek){{Citation|title=Amassakoul – Tinariwen |website= AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/amassakoul-mw0000140317| language=en|access-date=21 May 2021}} and their 2007 album Aman Iman ("Water Is Life"){{Citation|title=Aman Iman: Water Is Life – Tinariwen |website= AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/aman-iman-water-is-life-mw0000479197|language=en|access-date=21 May 2021}} were released worldwide and gained the notice of celebrity fans including Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Bono, the Edge, Thom Yorke, Chris Martin, Henry Rollins, Brian Eno, and members of TV on the Radio.{{Cite news|title=Mali's 'Guitar Gods' Tinariwen Receive Racist Threats Ahead Of U.S. Tour|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/23/744518696/malis-guitar-gods-tinariwen-receive-racist-threats-ahead-of-u-s-tour|access-date=21 May 2021 |website=NPR.org |language=en}} In 2005, Tinariwen received a BBC Award for World Music, and in 2008 they received Germany's prestigious Praetorius Music Prize. The band's 2009 album Imidiwan: Companions was recorded in a mobile studio by Jean-Paul Romann in Tessalit.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13549-imidiwan-companions/|title=Tinariwen: Imidiwan: Companions|website=Pitchfork|language=en|access-date=3 October 2019}} The band's UK debut was in Liverpool, at the Africa Oye festival in 2004.{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame {{!}} Africa Oye – Africa Oye |url=https://africaoye.com/halloffame/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=africaoye.com |language=en}} The band also appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004,{{Cite news |date=2004-06-01 |title=Full lineup: JazzWorld |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/jun/01/glastonbury2004.glastonbury5 |access-date=2025-04-28 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} and again in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/27/tinariwen-glastonbury-2009|title=Tinariwen at Glastonbury 2009 | Review|date=27 June 2009|website=the Guardian|access-date=13 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/live/glastonbury-2009-day-3-worthy-farm-somerset|title=Glastonbury 2009: Day 3 @ Worthy Farm, Somerset | Live Music Reviews|date=26 June 2009|access-date=13 April 2021}}

File:TINARIWEN Vienna 2011 17.jpg in 2011]]

File:Tinariwen-1.jpg

File:Tinariwen (2024).jpg 2024]]

In 2010, Tinariwen represented Algeria in the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,{{cite magazine|url=https://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2010/06/10/world-cup-concert-the-real-rebels-of-rock-n-roll/|title=World Cup Concert: The Real Rebels of Rock 'n' Roll|magazine=Time|author=Perry, Alex|publisher=Time|date=10 June 2010|access-date=25 January 2013}} and completed a lengthy American tour.{{cite web |url=http://anti.com/news/index/963/Tinariwen_Announce_North_American_Dates |title=Tinariwen Announce North American Dates |date=12 September 2011 |work=Anti Records |access-date=1 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019121533/http://www.anti.com/news/index/963/Tinariwen_Announce_North_American_Dates |archive-date=19 October 2011}} The band released their fifth album Tassili in 2011,{{cite web|url=http://www.jambase.com/Articles/50164/Tinariwen-New-Album-US-Tour |title=Tinariwen: New Album, US Tour on JamBase |publisher=Jambase.com |date= 8 June 2011|access-date=10 February 2014}} featuring guest appearances by Nels Cline, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tassili-mw0002163043 |date=30 August 2011 |title=Tassili |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=7 April 2014}} Ian Brennan produced the album. The album won the Award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2011&genre=34 |title=The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night |publisher=GRAMMY.com |access-date=10 February 2014}} Their world tour in 2011 included performances at the End of the Road Festival and All Tomorrow's Parties.{{Cite news |title = Tinariwen team up with TV on the Radio members for new album |author = Sean Michaels |url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/09/tinariwen-new-album |newspaper = The Guardian |date = 9 June 2011 |access-date =7 July 2011 |location=London}} Tinariwen appeared on The Colbert Report on 29 November 2011 with Adebimpe and Malone to play two songs from Tassili. Group members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Alhassane Ag Touhami, and Eyadou Ag Leche participated in a translated interview with Colbert.{{cite web|url=http://www.anti.com/news/index/999/Tinariwen_Captivate_On_Colbert_Report |title=Tinariwen Captivate On Colbert Report |date=30 November 2011 |work=Anti Records |access-date=1 December 2011 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119033005/http://www.anti.com/news/index/999/Tinariwen_Captivate_On_Colbert_Report |archive-date=19 January 2012 }} They appeared at the January 2012 Festival au Désert, where they were joined on stage by Bono and Bassekou Kouyate.{{cite web | title=Tinariwen, Bono, and Bassekou Kouyaté on Stage at the Festival au Désert, 2012| format= photo| publisher=Timbuktu Renaissance| via=Google Arts & Culture | url=https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/tinariwen-bono-and-bassekou-kouyat%C3%A9-on-stage-at-the-festival-au-d%C3%A9sert-festival-au-d%C3%A9sert/4wFhXzeu3DZPlw|access-date=30 November 2022}}{{youTube|ISme58Kbqiw|Festival in the Desert - 2012 - Bono of U2, Bassekou Kouyate, Tinariwen & Khaira Arby}} (5'45")

In early 2012 there was another Tuareg rebellion in Tinariwen's home region of northern Mali, with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad declaring independence and forming the short-lived unrecognized state Azawad. Another party in the rebellion, the militant Islamist group Ansar Dine, denounced the presence of popular music in the territory,{{cite web |url=http://www.africareview.com/Arts-and-Culture/When-Mali-music-came-under-attack/-/979194/1655282/-/1r1glmz/-/index.html |title=2012: When Mali music came under attack |author=Billie Odidi |date=1 January 2013 |access-date=11 January 2013}} and Tinariwen was targeted specifically during this campaign.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/23/mali-militants-declare-war-music |title=Mali: no rhythm or reason as militants declare war on music |author=Andy Morgan |date=23 October 2012 |access-date=7 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian }} During this period, Tinariwen had scheduled a tour of Australia and New Zealand, but Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Elaga Al Hamid were not able to get out of Mali due to the conflict. Members of Lo'Jo joined the rest of Tinariwen on stage at the WOMADelaide festival.{{cite web | title=Change to Tinariwen line-up for next week's WOMADelaide festival due to conflict in Mali | website=Australia Work & Travel Magazine| date=29 February 2012 | url=https://bbmlive.com/change-to-tinariwen-line-up-for-next-weeks-womadelaide-festival-due-to-conflict-in-mali/ | access-date=1 December 2022}}

In a January 2013 confrontation with Ansar Dine militants, who had denounced Tinariwen and their music, Abdallah Ag Lamida was abducted while trying to save his guitars.{{cite web |url=http://www.malijet.com/actualte_dans_les_regions_du_mali/rebellion_au_nord_du_mali/60100-intidaw-le-vocaliste-touareg-du-celebre-groupe-tinariwen-a-ete-a.html |title=Intidaw, le vocaliste Touareg du célèbre groupe Tinariwen, a été arrêté par le groupe terroriste Ansar Dine |date=3 January 2013 |publisher=Malijet.com |access-date=11 January 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.channel4.com/snowblog/band-mali-hugged-shepherds-bush/19626|title=The band from Mali I hugged in Shepherds Bush|last=Snow|first=Jon|date=17 January 2013|work=Snowblog|publisher=Channel 4 News|access-date=5 February 2013}} A few weeks later, Tinariwen reported that Ag Lamida had been released and was "safe and free".{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/tinariwenmusic/posts/10151173809966345 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/307591171344/10151173809966345 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |url-access=limited|date=3 January 2013 |title=Tinariwen Official Page |publisher=Facebook |access-date=7 February 2013}}{{cbignore}} During Ag Lamida's captivity, several other members of Tinariwen fled from the conflict and resettled temporarily in the southwestern United States to record their sixth album, Emmaar, with guests including Josh Klinghoffer, Fats Kaplin, Matt Sweeney, and Saul Williams. Recording took place at Joshua Tree National Park in California, which features a desert environment similar to that of Tinariwen's homeland.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/emmaar-mw0002604510 |date=10 February 2014 |title=Emmaar |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=7 April 2014}} Emmaar was released worldwide in 2014. Tinariwen then embarked on a tour of Europe and North America, but without group leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, who decided to remain in Mali to attend to family issues caused by the latest political crisis. Bassist Eyadou Ag Leche assumed the role of musical director, and a new singer/guitarist named Iyad Abderrahmane was recruited to perform Ag Alhabib's parts during the tour.{{cite web |url=http://www.abconcerts.be/en/concerts/p/detail/tinariwen-09-03-2014 |date=9 March 2014 |title=ABC Concerts: Tinariwen |publisher=Ancienne Beljique |url-status=dead |access-date=7 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224214/http://www.abconcerts.be/en/concerts/p/detail/tinariwen-09-03-2014 |archive-date=8 April 2014}}

In 2016, the group returned to Joshua Tree National Park to record parts of their seventh album, Elwan, with additional recording in France and the remote settlement of M'Hamid El Ghizlane in southern Morocco (home of the Festival Taragalte).{{cite web|last1=Tsioulcas|first1=Anastasia|title=Review: Tinariwen, 'Elwan'|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/02/02/512650724/first-listen-tinariwen-elwan|website=NPR.com|access-date=27 January 2018|date=2 February 2017}} The album was released in 2017 and featured guest appearances by Matt Sweeney, Kurt Vile, Mark Lanegan, and Alain Johannes.{{cite web|last1=Fraden|first1=Angel E.|title=Tinariwen Deliver a Devastatingly Beautiful Album With 'Elwan'|url=http://www.okayafrica.com/tinariwen-elwan-album/|website=okayafrica.|access-date=27 January 2018|date=7 March 2017}} Tinariwen then embarked on an American tour with Dengue Fever as support.{{cite web|title=Tinariwen's New Album 'Elwan' Out Now|url=http://www.anti.com/news/tinariwens-new-album-elwan-out-now/|website=Anti- Records|access-date=27 January 2018|date=10 February 2017}} The group toured Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand through 2018, with another appearance at WOMADelaide.{{cite web | title=Tinariwen | website=WOMADelaide 2018 | url=https://www.womadelaide.com.au/artists/2018/tinariwen | access-date=1 December 2022}} After the international tour, Tinariwen were unable to return to their home area in northern Mali due to ongoing sectarian violence and threats from Islamist militants.{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/tinariwen-amadjar-2640249451.html?rebelltitem=1|title=Tinariwen's 'Amadjar' Is a Particularly Well-Polished Jewel|date=9 September 2019|website=PopMatters|language=en|access-date=29 September 2019}} The group instead decamped in Morocco and embarked on a multi-month journey through Western Sahara and Mauritania, collaborating with local musicians at several stops along the way and writing songs while camped out in the desert.{{cite web |last1=Monger |first1=Timothy |title=Tinariwen: Amadjar |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/amadjar-mw0003292861 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=29 September 2019}}

Their eighth album, Amadjar, was recorded outdoors with mobile equipment near Nouakchott, Mauritania and was released in 2019.{{cite web |last1=Minsker |first1=Evan |title=Tinariwen Announce New Album Amajdar, Share New Song: Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tinariwen-announce-new-album-amajdar-share-new-song-listen/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=12 June 2019 |date=12 June 2019}} Amadjar featured guest appearances by Noura Mint Seymali, Micah Nelson, Cass McCombs, Stephen O'Malley, and Warren Ellis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/06/tinariwan-amadjar-review|title=Tinariwan: Amadjar review {{!}} Ammar Kalia's global album of the month|last=Kalia|first=Ammar|date=6 September 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=29 September 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} In 2022, Tinariwen began a project to reissue several of their earlier albums in new formats;{{cite web |last=Arcand |first=Rob |date=2022-09-01 |title=Tinariwen Announce New Reissues of Three Albums |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tinariwen-announce-new-reissues-of-three-albums/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} the first such release was the album Kel Tinariwen, which collects several of the group's early recordings from the 1990s.{{Citation |title=Tinariwen - Kel Tinariwen Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/kel-tinariwen-mw0003793771 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-16}} Their ninth album, Amatssou, was produced by Daniel Lanois and was released in May 2023.{{Cite news |last=Kress |first=Bryan |date=March 14, 2023 |title=Tinariwen Announce New Album Amatssou, Share "Tenere Den" |work=Consequence |url=https://consequence.net/2023/03/tinariwen-amatssou-tenere-den-stream/ |access-date=May 19, 2023}} Another world tour included a performance at the Glastonbury Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ec59hn/acts/aqcmn3 |title=Tinariwen - Acts - Glastonbury 2023 |publisher=BBC |date=2012-12-19 |accessdate=2023-06-24}}{{cite web |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tinariwen/2023/worthy-farm-pilton-england-63a662d7.html |title=Tinariwen Setlist at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England |date= |publisher=setlist.fm |access-date=24 June 2023}}

On 28 August 2024 the group performed at one of the Late Night Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ev4z3d A compilation of early demos and rarities titled Idrache (Traces of the Past) was released in November 2024.{{Cite web |title=Idrache new unreleased and rarities album — Tinariwen |url=https://www.tinariwen.com/Idrache-new-unreleased-and-rarities-album |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.tinariwen.com |language=en}}

Tinariwen's sound is primarily guitar-driven, in the style known as assouf among the Tuareg people.{{cite web|last=Morgan|first=Andy|title=Songs of exile and resistance|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/1/10/songs-of-exile-and-resistance|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}} The group's guitar style has its roots in West African music{{cite web|last=Morgan|first=Andy|date=9 June 2016|title=Meet Kel Assouf and Imarhan, the new wave of Tuareg rock|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/09/kel-assouf-imarhan-new-wave-tuareg-rock-tinariwen-bombino|access-date=21 May 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}} and other traditional styles practiced by the Tuareg and Berber peoples,{{cite web|title=We are nomads and we belong to the desert- Tinariwen|url=https://www.rsjonline.com/features/we-are-nomads-and-we-belong-to-the-desert--tinariwen.html|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.rsjonline.com}}{{cite web|last=Shahid|first=Gershom|title=Desert blues: A short primer on Northwest African rock music {{!}} The Review|date=18 March 2021 |url=http://udreview.com/desert-blues-a-short-primer-on-northwest-african-rock-music/|access-date=21 May 2021|language=en-US}} and has often been characterized as "desert blues".{{Cite news|title=Tinariwen, 'Tin Ihlan' (Live)|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/05/17/478372649/watch-tinariwen-perform-tin-ihlan-live-at-pickathon|access-date=21 May 2021|newspaper=NPR|date=17 May 2016|language=en|last1=Christensen|first1=Dave}} Tinariwen was also influenced by traditional Malian musicians, most notably Ali Farka Touré,{{cite web|last=Silverstone|first=Sophie|date=3 April 2017|title=Sounds of Mali in Utah: Tinariwen and Vieux Fara Touré|url=https://catalystmagazine.net/sounds-mali-utah-tinariwen-vieux-fara-toure/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Catalyst Magazine|language=en-US}} and regional pop singers like Rabah Driassa. While the Tinariwen style is possibly a distant relative of blues music, via West African music, members of Tinariwen claim to have never heard actual American blues music until they began to travel internationally in the early 2000s.{{Cite magazine|last=Frere-Jones|first=Sasha|title=Sahara Blues|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/03/03/sahara-blues|access-date=21 May 2021|magazine=The New Yorker|date=24 February 2014|language=en-US}} Tinariwen was also influenced by American and British rock acts whose bootlegged albums had made it to the Sahara region, such as Dire Straits,{{cite web|title=Tuareg Rock|url=https://africasacountry.com/2015/03/the-unexpected-popularity-of-dire-straits-in-north-african-tuareg-communities/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=africasacountry.com|language=en-US}} Santana,{{cite web|last=Markowitz|first=Douglas|date=22 August 2018|title=How a Tinariwen CD Tells the Story of a Rebel Nation|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/how-a-tinariwen-cd-tells-the-story-of-a-rebel-nation-10738891|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Phoenix New Times}} Led Zeppelin,{{cite web|title=Tinariwen on their new album, bootlegged Zeppelin tapes, and more|url=https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/music/2017/nov/08/tinariwen-on-their-new-album-bootlegged-zeppelin-tapes-and-more-4587.html|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.indulgexpress.com|language=en}} Bob Dylan,{{cite web|date=2 April 2014|title=Tinariwen Unites The Many Personalities Of New York City|url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/features/reviews/tinariwen-brooklyn-bowl-review/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=L4LM|language=en-US}} and Jimi Hendrix.

Tinariwen has been named as a formative influence on a growing Tuareg rock scene, made up of younger musicians who were not rebels like the members of Tinariwen but have experienced their region's recent struggles with poverty and terrorism. The band Imarhan is led by Sadam Iyad Moussa Ben Abderamane, who has collaborated with Tinariwen and is the nephew of bassist Eyadu ag Leche. Kel Assouf and Tamikrest{{cite web|date=28 May 2010|title=The future of Tuareg rock|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2010-05-28-the-future-of-tuareg-rock/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=The Mail & Guardian|language=en-ZA}} have gained notice as younger Tuareg rock bands that cite Tinariwen as a fundamental influence. The band Terakaft consists of several musicians who have played with Tinariwen. The band Tissilawen has cited Tinariwen as primary inspiration for their sound and has covered several Tinariwen songs.{{Cite web |title=BIO |url=https://tazodita.wixsite.com/tissilawen/bio |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=tissilawen |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=Music Stats, Dounia |url=https://app.chartmetric.com/track/33105658 |access-date=April 8, 2025 |website=Chartmetric}}

File:TINARIWEN Vienna 2011 18.jpg in 2011]]

Tinariwen is a collective of singers, songwriters, and musicians who come together in different combinations to play concerts and to record. This is because of the nomadic lifestyle of the Tuareg people and the difficulties of transportation and communication in the Sahara region. The group rarely brings a consistent line-up on its international tours, though several members tour regularly.

• Ibrahim Ag Alhabib – guitar, vocals (founding member)
• Alhassane Ag Touhami – guitar, vocals (founding member)
• Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni – guitar, vocals (founding member)
• Iyad Moussa Abderrahmane – guitar, vocals
• Eyadou Ag Leche – bass guitar, guitar, percussion, vocals, backing vocals
• Said Ag Ayad – percussion, backing vocals
• Elaga Ag Hamid – guitar, backing vocals
• Cheik Ag Tiglia - bass
• Sanou Ag Hamed - guitar, vocals

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• Inteyeden Ag Ablil – guitar, vocals (founding member; died 1994)
• Liya "Diarra" Ag Ablil – guitar, vocals (founding member)
• Abdallah "Intidao" Ag Lamida – guitar, backing vocals
• Mohammed Ag Tahada – percussion
• Iyad Moussa Abderrahmane – guitar, vocals
• Mohammed "Japonais" Ag Itlale – guitar, vocals (died 2021){{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/tinariwenmusic/photos/a.10151864362156345/10157538830316345 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/307591171344/10157538830316345 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Facebook|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=13 April 2021}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|title=Afropop Worldwide {{!}} Imarhan Release "Tamiditin," Featuring Tinariwen Founding Member Japonais|url=https://afropop.org/articles/imarhan-release-tamiditin-featuring-tinariwen-founding-member-japonais|access-date=14 December 2021|website=Afropop Worldwide|language=en}}
• Kedou Ag Ossad – guitar, vocals
• Sweiloum – guitar, vocals
• Foy Foy – guitar, vocals
• Abouhadid – guitar, vocals
• Wonou Walet Sidati – vocals
• Kesa Malet Hamid – vocals
• Mina Walet Oumar – vocals
• Wonou Walet Oumar – vocals (died 2005)
• Iyad Ag Ghaly - percussion{{cite news |last1=Benoit |first1=Faucon |title=Whiskey-Drinking Rocker Transforms Into West Africa’s Most Dangerous al Qaeda Leader |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/iyad-ag-ghali-al-qaeda-leader-west-africa-85afbca0 |access-date=3 April 2025 |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=31 March 2024}}

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• In 2012 Tinariwen won Best Group at the Songlines Music Awards.{{cite web|url=http://songlines.co.uk/music-awards/index.php |title=Music Awards – 2014 – recognising outstanding talent in world music |publisher=Songlines |date=31 January 2014 |access-date=10 February 2014}}
• In 2012 Tassili won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.{{cite web|date=15 December 2020|title=Tinariwen|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/tinariwen/10715|access-date=21 May 2021|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}}
• In 2017 Elwan was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.
• In 2020 Amadjar was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album.
• In 2020 Amadjar won the Libera Award for best world music album.{{cite web|title=2020 Winners|url=https://liberaawards.com/2020-winners/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Libera Awards|language=en-US}}

• The Soul Rebel of African Desert (soundtrack, 2006)
• Live in Paris (live, 2016)
• Idrache (Traces of the Past) (compilation, 2024)

• The Rough Guide to Desert Blues (2010)
• The Imagine Project – Herbie Hancock (2010) ("Tamatant Tilay/Exodus" with K'naan and Los Lobos)

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.tinariwen.com/ Official Tinariwen site]

{{Tinariwen|state=expanded}}

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Category:Malian musical groups

Category:Tuareg culture

Category:Wrasse Records artists

Category:Berber music

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Outside Music albums

Category:Independiente Records artists

Category:Algerian musical groups

Category:Desert blues musicians

Category:1979 establishments in Algeria

Category:Musical groups established in 1979

Category:Musical collectives

Category:Political music groups