Description
Though Moctar is taking the assouf guitar tradition of the Tuareg people far beyond his native region, he’s playing an electrified strain of it, complete with flashy licks that rock fans anywhere will be well familiar with. Moreover, Moctar follows in the footsteps of Ali Farka Touré, Tinariwen, Abdallah Oumbadougou and, more recently, Bombino, all of whom preceded him in laying the groundwork for the worldwide popularization of the so-called desert blues style.
Yes, there are blazing solos and squalls of feedback, such as on the extended lead section of the title track. Still, for all his chops, Moctar has a rare gift for fluidity, as he and rhythm/acoustic guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane meld assouf, rock, psych and jazz elements into a single stream under their fingertips.
Along with the rest of the band – drummer Souleymane Ibrahim and Brooklyn-based producer/bassist Michael Coltun, (who would routinely go through a grueling 48-hour journey just to rehearse with the others) —vary their approach from song to song with such impeccable grace that Afrique Victime never settles into one gear. Nevertheless, as a complete work, the album goes down in a single, 40-minute gulp as easily as a glass of cool (if spicy) iced tea.
