Ichichila

The Tuareg’s “desert blues” has long been a favorite among African music fans, and much of its current popularity should be credited to the female-led group Tartit, whose album Ichichila was among the first to reach Western ears. Unlike the electronics-infused, global sounds of Imarhan, or the desert rock of Tinariwen, Tartit’s music is simple yet incredibly emotive, relying mostly on the tehardent (a three-stringed, plucked long-neck lute) and imzad (a single-string bowed violin, mostly played by women), sparse electric guitar, hand claps, and call-and-response vocals to build their timeless grooves.