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Artist
Etran Finatawa
12+ albums
desert bluesnigerafricanworldtuareg
about
Etran Finatawa was formed as a band at the time of the 2004 Festival in the Desert near Timbuctou in Mali. The literal meaning of their name is ‘the stars of tradition’. They are the first group to use the songs and music of the Wodaabe in a modern context. They began as a group of ten musicians who wanted to unite the Wodaabe and the Tuareg nomadic cultures as a symbol of peace and reconciliaton. The touring and recording band consists of six players three of whom are Tuareg and three, Wodaabe-Fulani. In Niger the Wodaabe and the Tuareg live side by side on the desert’s fringes sharing pastures and water sources which sometimes leads to feuding. They work together to be strong and to give their cultures a future in this changing world. The music of the two tribes is very different but their combinationhas produced a powerful and hypnotic sound and a new musical style. By 2005 Etran Finatawa were touring Europe and they appearing at WOMAD in 2006. Afterwards they travelled the wider world. In Niger their music has a cult following and their songs are sung by the young and school children all over the country. The traditional Wodaabe chants are a remarkable blend of choral polyphony and high tenor solos. They wear their traditional long embroidered tunics, leather hose and turbans with ostrich feathers as they would at their annual desert festivals. They adorn their faces with yellow spots and stripes to enhance their looks, and accompany their vocal music with the tradi
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