Next November 12 at the Villanos del Jazz room in Madrid, and on November 13 at the La Paloma room in Barcelona, Omara “Bombino” Moctar returns to our country to bring us “Sahel”, the latest work by the Nigerien guitarist. His style, Tuareg rock and blues, transports us to the desert and mountainous landscapes of his native Niger through the chords of his guitar. Here, a preview of the interview he gave to News Now Nigeria on the occasion of his next visit to Spain. You will soon be able to find the complete interview in our magazine.
You come to Madrid and Barcelona to present your eighth album, sahel. What can we find in this work?
My new album, Sahel, It is a mix of acoustic and electric songs. I have been working on many of them for years. It was exciting to finally be able to record those songs and work out the arrangements with my band. The album was recorded in Casablanca (Morocco) and was produced by David Wrench.
Why is the new album called sahel?
I wanted to make an album that spoke to the struggles of life in the Sahara, as well as the question of the experience of the Tuareg people, but I also wanted to address universal themes like love, which everyone can relate to. I have tried to show the beauty of the region, but also make a call for unity there. Life is hard in the Sahel and we can only survive if we stick together and work for peace. So those are the topics I was thinking about when I went into the studio to record.
In the Tuareg people there is an important intersection between politics, history and music. What is the weight that politics and history have in your musical career?
The history of the Tuareg has shaped my own life. I have had to flee Niger twice when I was younger because of the political situation in the country. Of course, I have never seen the need to take up arms for the rebel cause, because I have always felt that there was a way through music. I have been able to use my guitar to help me in this task and find a way forward.
