On May 21, Matador Records will release Afrique Victime, the long-awaited new album by Mdou Moctar. With Afrique Victime the prodigious Tuareg guitarist and songwriter rips a new hole in the sky – boldly reforging contemporary Saharan music and “rock music” by melding guitar pyrotechnics, full-blast noise, and field recordings with poetic meditations on love, religion, women’s rights, inequality, and Western Africa’s exploitation at the hands of colonial powers. Today, watch a video for the new song “Tala Tannam.” While Mdou and his band are renowned for their volume and energy, this song is largely unplugged – tracking a simple melody and a mellow, hypnotic beauty. Watch it below: “Tala Tannam means your tears,” says Mdou. “It is another love song of which I’m very fond.” The clip...
