Tinariwen, whose recent album 'Tassili' won a Grammy Award in the Best World Music Album category last February, regrets to announce that one of its founder members, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, will be absent from the group's forthcoming spring tour of Europe.
Since the 17th of January, a violent conflict between the Malian army and the NMLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (the original tuareg lands which include the north of Mali, part of the Niger and Mauritania, and south Ageria) has been raging in Northern Mali. More than 170,000 civilians have fled the fighting and have taken refuge either in the open desert around villages and settlements (these internally displaced people are experiencing a catastrophic lack of all basic necessities, especially around the villages of Aguel'hoc and Tessalit, where Ibrahim lives), or in neighbouring countries (Mauritania, Algeria, Niger and Burkina Faso). Due to this extreme humanitarian emergency, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib has taken the decision to stay with his family and loved ones and to help his people.
An emblematic figure among the Sahara's Kel Tamashek community, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib has always supported the cause of the Touareg people. For the past ten years, thanks to over 900 concerts and five album releases, Tinariwen has been the voice of the "nomadic people of the desert" throughout the globe.
He will be joining the other members of Tinariwen on-stage to honour their collective role as spokespersons of the Tamashek people and culture, as soon as the situation allows him to do so.
TOUR DATES :
Mar 17 Muffatwerk Ampere - Munich, Germany
Mar 19 Apolo - Barcelona, Spain
Mar 20 Teatro Lara - Madrid, Spain
Mar 22 Dom Omldaine - Belgrade, Serbia
Mar 24 De Roma - Antwerp, Belgium
Mar 25 De Zwerver - Leffinge, Belgium
Mar 28 Le Fil - Saint Étienne, France
Mar 29 La Cartonnerie - Reims, France
Mar 30 La Rodia - Besancon, France
Mar 31 Le 106 - Rouen, France
Apr 03 La Cigale - Paris, France
Apr 05 Oran Mor - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Apr 06 Queens Hall - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Apr 07 Colston Hall - Bristol, United Kingdom
Apr 08 HMV Ritz - Manchester, United Kingdom
Apr 10 Birmingham HMV - Institute Birmingham, United Kingdom
Apr 11 Liverpool Philharmonic - Liverpool, United Kingdom
Apr 12 National Concert Hall - Dublin, Ireland
Apr 14 Hiroshima Mon Amour - Turin To, Italy
Apr 15 Alcatrz - Milan, Italy
Apr 16 Bronson - Ravenna, Italy
Apr 17 Auditorio - Rome, Italy
Apr 18 Flog Club - Florence, Italy
Apr 21 Kulturkirche - Cologne, Germany
Apr 23 Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark Apr 24 Voxhall - Århus C, Denmark
Apr 26 La Sirene - La Rochelle, France
Apr 27 Printemps de Bourges - Bourges, France
Apr 28 Festival Toucouleur - Angers, France
Apr 29 Aeronef - Lille, France
May 03 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, United Kingdom