Jimi Hendrix of the Desert
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Crossposted from Haaretz
“Bombino” is the nickname of Omara Moctar, a singer and virtuoso electric guitarist from the wandering Tuareg tribes of the Sahara Desert in the African country of Niger. Thanks to his special style of playing, combining an ancient musical tradition with influences of electric blues and Western psychedelics, his fine debut album, “Agadez,” which came out in April, is winning significant exposure worldwide. On October 18, Bombino and his band performed in Israel for the first time at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv.
In the wake of the album Bombino has been granted the complimentary title of “the desert Hendrix” and he has been compared to the great blues guitarist John Lee Hooker and to African artists like the Tinariwen band and Ali Farka Toure.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
