Tuareg Music

- The Festival includes an extremely diverse variety of musical styles, as well as artistic expression

- Vocal Music 

• Tisiway - Spoken word poems
• Tasikisikit: songs performed by women, accompanied by the Tende drum; while men, on camel-back, circle the women as they sing
• Tahengemmit: slow songs the elder men of the clan

Anzad - a monochord violin like instrument, played during night parties

Music for children with unique instruments

• Fadangama which is similar to the Anzad, but smaller
• Odili, a flute made from Sorghum wood, 
• Gidga, a small wooden instrument with plucked iron sticks

- Traditional dances, including the the Tagest, shown below, which is characterized by dancing while seated and moving the head and shoulders

- In the 1980s rebel fighters founded the band Tinariwen, which combined electric guitars into the indigenous music style becoming the most popular Tuareg band

- This modern style of Tuareg music is called Ishumar or Teshumara

• Characterized by an infusion of electric guitar, bass and drums with traditional elements
• Reminiscent of American Blues Music
• Lyrics reflect history and struggle for independence that the Tuareg people feel
• Typically high energy and repetitive style
• Some groups perform primarily acoustically, with group singing, traditional instruments, guitars and percussion mixed in