Tamikrest

Iconic Saharan rock band, Tamikrest was founded in 2006 in Tinzawatene by Ousmane Ag Mossa and Cheikh Ag Tiglia, driven by their love of Tinariwen and their desire to carry forward the oppressed voice of the Kel Tamasheq (Tuareg) people.

Their first two albums (Adagh in 2 010, then Toumastin, 2011) already demonstrate a keen sense of melody and songwriting. The arrival of guitarist Paul Salvagnac for their third album, Chatma (2013), established the band's more powerful, rock-oriented approach. Dedicated to the struggles of women in the Sahara, it is considered by the worldwide music press to be a major album of Ishumar music. They also received the Songlines Award for Best Album in 2013.

With their next two records Kidal (2017) and Tamotait (2020), Tamikrest asserted both their roots in the Tamasheq tradition, and their love of rock and roll and other contemporary styles. And it's naturally on stage that Tamikrest's psychedelic rock, a hypnotic and melodious trance, reveals its full power, making their fans dance, as they recount the struggles of the Kel Tamasheq people for the survival of their culture, and the lost freedom of infinite spaces.

After numerous European, African, North and South American tours, as well as tours in Asia and Australia, Tamikrest has established themselves as a major representative of African music and the international rock scene.