Today, we move just east of Mali to Niger with the great singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bombino. He’s more in my comfort range regarding artists because he exists in the context that I know of the music profession. He writes pretty much all his own songs. And the songs are very western in their structure. But it still sounds very different from anything I’ve ever heard before.

Here he is performing for NPR in what looks like a tiny radio station somewhere. The people playing with him seem to change in each performance I see. But they are all very good. I think it is always easy for people to think this kind of relaxed, assured music is easy to play, but it isn’t; it is absolutely the hardest thing in the world. And they really let Bombino fly off with some exceptional guitar solos. Here we have three songs off his 2013 album, Nomad. They are “Tamiditine” (My Darling), “Her Tenere” (In the Desert), and “Imuhar” (Freeman).

Afterword

If you like this music, check out this entire performance, Live From Breakglass.