Music: Tamikrest

Jeff Hemmings speaks to lead vocalist and guitarist Ousmane Ag Mossa

Following in the footsteps of fellow Tuaregs Tinariwen, the six-piece nomadic travellers Tamikrest also fuse western styles and influences into their intoxicating and hypnotising take on ‘desert blues’.

From Kidal, in Northern Mali, Tamikrest, like so many of their people, have been victims of ongoing fighting between separatists and the government, and now reside in Algeria. “Kidal is the door of the desert. The capital of the Tuareg people; 2,000km from Bamako and 300km from the Algerian border.

Before Kidal was a quite place, but for more than two years it has been disturbed by terrorists and the absence of government and economic support. Today, there are a lots of armies; The UN, the Malian army, the French army… But nothing can give any hope to the population that things will change.”

While Tuaregs have long-held a dream for independence in the northern region of Mali that they call Azawad, 18 months ago a new conflict arose as a result of the overthrow, by Malian soldiers, of President Amadou Toumani Toure in March 2012, allowing separatist rebels and Islamist militants to seize the north of the country.

France sent its troops in January 2013 to drive out the militants from the northern cities of Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao. A UN peacekeeping mission arrived in July to help with elections that were taking place. “The international community put the Malian state under pressure to organise the election, and to make a bilateral agreement between the Tuareg organisations and the government. But the problems are not solved.”

Tamikrest have just released their third album, Chatma, a concept album based around the theme of sisters (chatma). “We choose to pay a tribute to the women because they are – along with the children and the elderly – the first victims of the human troubles. It’s not just true here but also in countries like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya… In Tuareg culture, the women are all like queens. They are the guardians of our honour, of our traditions.

Tinariwen famously took up electric guitars and forged a unique fusion of western rock and traditional Tuareg styles, and taken this music around the world. Tamikrest have been following in their footsteps, but forging a sound unique to them. “We always try to explore new territories, but we never forget where we are from and who we are.

We are Tuaregs but we are also artists… we listen to other Tuaregs artists, but also Bob Marley, reggae music, Mark Knopfler, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, early Eric Clapton, flamenco, Habib Koite, Sixteen Horsepower. We also like Arab-Andalus music… many different styles.”

Komedia, Tuesday 22 October, 8pm, £14