To mark the commencement of a 2023 US Summer tour, Etran de L’Aïr—which translates to the Stars of the Aïr—have released two live tracks recorded in Seattle earlier in the year; available for digital download, they’re also NYP (name your price, which includes free if you need it to be).
Seattle is a long way—seven-thousand miles thereabouts—from Etran de L’Aïr’s hometown of Agadez, Niger; a city located in the Sahara desert and the country’s fifth largest.
Etran de L’Aïr’s sound is generally described as desert blues. It’s a genre description in much part originating from the epithet desert rock already being taken in the West by a bunch of stoners who liked recording while out of their trees while out in the deserts of the States—some groovy tunes coming from their endeavours, it should be said—while the sound coming from Africa has a vibe and undercurrent distinctive to musicians in the region.
Desert blues has a longer history, but didn’t really find any serious outlet in the West until recently. Who can say why an epithet like tuareg rock didn’t take the lead: thought less likely to make sense to the new audience; plus, although more relevant, because at its origin there doesn’t appear the same concern for labels, it being described as the music played at social functions—be it a wedding or baptism—perhaps.
For me, a bit of a ‘what-wait?!’ moment on first reading when thinking of all the drag-on events ever attended along with a mostly reluctant few that would’ve had a line-up round the block and more if a band anything like as good as Etran de L’Aïr had been playing.
Intricate, fast, pounding, intently rhythmic, intoxicating, heady, driving, resolute, deeply accomplished; and yet . . . light as a feather.
The dual nature of Etran de L’Aïr’s music is enthralling: if I’m listening while standing, there’s no way I can’t dance; while if sitting, it lulls comfortably . . . okay sometimes there’s a bit of a wiggle in the seat: it’s impossible to not move, somehow energising while equally relaxing.
Etran de L’Aïr began with founder Aghaly Migi in 1995; always comprised of family—brothers and cousins—Aghaly has been music teacher too.
Current band leader Moussa “Abindi” Ibra was aged nine when the band started; on the Etran de L’Aïr’s bandcamp and record label pages, he is quoted talking about how they only had one acoustic guitar, while for percussion a calabash floating in water was hit with a sandal.
Even as the band progressed and managed to acquire more equipment things didn’t get any easier; Ibra: ‘It was difficult. We would walk to gigs by foot, lugging all our equipment, carrying a small PA and guitars on our backs, 25 kilometers into the bush, to play for free.’
I very much doubt dates on the upcoming tour will be likewise—seven-thousand miles is a lot further than 25 km, after all—but whatever the cost, it’ll be a small price to pay to see not just such an accomplished band, but also one with such incredible history (something making the above tracks at NYP all the more amazing).
Dates and venues shown on tour flyer accurate at time of publication:
As well as the above tracks, Etran de L’Aïr have released two albums via label Sahel Sounds: No 1; 2018 and Agadez; 2022. Both are brimming with hypnotic rhythm, soothing to purposeful, lifting lyrics and moments of intricate guitar magic that I truly believe Jimi Hendrix would’ve dropped his jaw at.
There’s also mention of some UK dates later in the year on the band’s linktree, where ticket information for the US dates can found too!
Links:
Thanks for reading 🙂
N. P. Ryan
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