On his third David Longstreth-produced studio LP, Azel (out April 1 via Partisan Records), Niger-born guitar wrangler Bombino parlays a variation on his Tuareg music and heritage: Tuareggae, a combination of — as you might expect — reggae and the so-called “desert blues” associated with bands like Tinariwen and Terakraft. On “Timtar (Memories),” another listen off of his ten-track effort, the rhythmic bounce and light-lanced guitar licks belie more mercurial lyrics about relationships, friends and family, and, seemingly, celibacy. Read the translation from his native Tamasheq below:
My girlfriend where are our memories, our intimate memories?
What is the value of a relationship when it separates two connected hearts?
My brother I want you to advise and console me because my lover has gone and left me alone
From this day, I decided to avoid a physical love
My friends, What, What do you advise me?
My girlfriend where are our memories, our intimate memories?
Listen here, find the single artwork and Bombino’s upcoming tour dates below, and keep an eye out for Azel‘s arrival next month.
Bombino tour dates:
March 17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Austin Psych Fest showcase
March 18 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Radio Day Stage powered by VuHaus
March 18 – Austin, TX @ SXSW globalFEST showcase
March 22 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
March 23 – Montréal, QC @ Centre Phi
March 24 – Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot
March 25 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
March 26 – New York, NY @ Africa Now at The Apollo
March 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
March 30 – Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
March 31 – Athens, GA @ Slingshot Festival
April 1 – Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
April 2 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
April 3 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
April 5 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hifi
April 6 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
April 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall*
April 8 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues*
April 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue*
April 11 – Louisville, KY @ The New Vintage
April 12 – St Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
April 13 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada
April 15 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
April 16 – Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
April 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
April 20 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
April 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
April 22 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish
April 23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
April 24 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Kuumbwa Center
April 27 – Grass Valley, CA @ Center for the Arts
April 28 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
April 29 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
April 30 – Vancouver, BC @ Imperial Theatre
* w/ Galactic
