Imidiwan: Companions

In December of 2008, Tinariwen gathered in the Sahara to record a new album. The sessions took place in a rented house, out in the bush, in nomad camps and in other magical locations. The whole adventure was filmed by the French director Jessy Nottola and a DVD of that film is included with the CD. Imidiwan: Companions is the band's fourth release for World Village and it possesses all the elements that have made them so magnetic to western ears: raw simplicity, melodic beauty and songs ranging from the epic and universal to the intimate and personal. This fourteen track album, produced by Jean-Paul Romann, who had previously worked with Tinariwen on their 2001 debut album, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, was recorded in the Malian village of Tessalit, home of band members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Hassan Ag Touhami. Since their debut, Tinariwen has picked up a number of awards and a raft of 'legendary' fans including Robert Plant, Carlos Santana, Brian Eno, Thom Yorke, TV on the Radio, Bono and The Edge.