griot

African musicians of today are more than just singers banging out a beat for people to dance. They tackle pressing issues using ancient musical traditions, keeping alive the spirit of West Africa's griots. They too are the oral story-tellers and poets who have always been the continent's historians and commentators.

The African-influenced, bluesy rock music of the band of tribesmen is born out of nostalgia. It is music that refuses to allow a culture to fade into the shadows – all sung in the extraordinary poetry of the Tamasheq language. But it is also a voice of the anger and hope of a generation of youngsters forged in the desert.