ANCHR’s Artist of the Week: Mdou Moctar
Here at ANCHR, we don't really dive too deep into rock music from the Sahara, but when the music hits, you just gotta take your licks and do what you can to spread the musical gospel for all to enjoy. I, Michael Perez, feel that I am the man for the job and all you readers should feel very lucky to have me. That being said, I present to you: Mahamadou Souleymane, professionally known as Mdou Moctar. Mdou is a self taught virtuoso guitar master from Agadez, Niger who specializes in the Taureg style of music called assouf, aka Desert Blues. Coming from a religious household, his family was averse to rock music because of the flaunted lifestyle of partying, chicks, and booze that's exhibited, but Mdou realized his calling after attending a concert and proceeded to make his own guitar out of wood and strings he took from bicycle breaks. Thankfully for us, his makeshift guitar helped him become the musical artists he is today.
Photo credit: WH Moustapha
Mdou Moctar has recently found success in the states after releasing his triumphant album Afrique Victime. The album is sung in Tamasheq, which I do not speak, but from reading past reviews, song themes range from love to politics with women's rights and even religious radical terrorism being some of the topics. Whether you speak Tamasheq, or are just a general music lover, this album slaps. Afrique Victime is anthemic, melodic, dancey, and filled with beautiful guitar riffs. The song that sticks out most to the American ear is the title track “Afrique Victime.” Give it a listen and if that song doesn't cause you to either tap your foot, sway your shoulders, bop your head, or just plain dance, slide in my DMs and let me know. I'm interested in knowing who all of ANCHR’s readers are insane.
Mdou's band is rounded out by Ahmoudou Madassane on rhythm guitar, Souleymane Ibrahim on drums, and Michael "Mikey" Coltun on bass. Along with being the bands bassist, Coltun also produced and engineered Afrique Victime throughout the bands touring in 2019. Based in Brooklyn, Coltun travels 20 hours by air and 28 hours by bus to reach Agadez so the band can practice and record. Fairly safe to say Coltun does not have commitment issues. When I saw Mdou Moctar perform at Lincoln Hall in September, I arrived minutes before their set since I was coming straight from Riot Fest, and the house was packed. I slithered my way to the center back of the floor, right in front of the sound stage, and it was as good of a spot I could ask for to see and feel the Mdou Moctar performance. Being in my thirties, I would usually not be all that excited to have to continue standing at another show across town after walking and standing all day at a music festival, but my lack of enthusiasm was swiftly purged after the first song. They had the crowd swaying and dancing right off the bat and even had some of their friends accompany them on stage to dance for a number of songs.
Afrique Victime is very much worth a listen and an Mdou Moctar concert is definitely worth the ticket price. Your next chance to see Mdou Moctar is in March when they open for Parquet Courts at the Riv. If my spidey sense is as good as I think it is, I wouldn't be surprised if they make it back to Chi-city during festival season as well.