Etran de L'Aïr

Etran de L’Aïr (‘stars of the Aïr region’) are heroes of desert blues, the rousing desert music popularized by bands such as Mdou Moctar and Bombino. The veiled musicians evoke the atmosphere of Agadez, the capital of Saharan rock. They started out playing the local wedding circuit. Twenty-five years later they still throw the best parties at the hippest festivals. 

Whereas other Tuareg guitarists look to Western rock, Etran de L’Aïr play in a pan-African style that is emblematic of their hometown, citing a myriad of cultural influences, from Northern Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, to Congolese Soukous.