Imarhan
photo: Djaber Ouladheddar

Tuareg band Imarhan enlist Gruff Rhys for new single (listen)

Tuareg quintet Imarhan are gearing up to release their third album, Aboogi, on January 28 via City Slang. (Abooji is also the name of their studio in the Tamanrasset area.) The record features a number of collaborations, including Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys on “Adar Newlan.” It’s a sublime merger of styles, voices and languages that really soars.

Gruff and Imarhan met at one of Damon Albarn’s Africa Express shows in London. “My time at Aboogi with Imarhan was unforgettable,” Gruff says. “We hid from the sun and drank hot strong tea in the orange tent within the studio’s outdoor compound and exchanged musical ideas. New friends singing in multiple languages; Tamasheq, Welsh, French, English, Arabic drifted on the air from the studio door into the yard. Songs seemed to flow and grow quickly and effortlessly in these conditions. Right where the city meets the mountains, and where you can glimpse both worlds, capped by the ceiling of their gigantic sky – without barely moving your head.“

“Adar Newlan” comes an animated video directed by Hugo and Rodolphe Jouxtel of Fantômes, and you can watch that below.

Aboogi also features Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni. Check out the artwork, tracklist and a few other songs off the album below.

Imarhan also have European tour dates this spring. Their full schedule is listed below.

abooji

Tracklist:
1. Achinkad
2. Derhan
3. Temet
4. Tindjatan
5. Asof
6. Assossam
7. Taghadart
8. Laouni
9. Imaslan N’Assouf
10. Tamiditin
11. Adar Newlan

Imarhan – 2022 Tour Dates
Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre
Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix
Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome
Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale
Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat
Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club
Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard
Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice
Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose
Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine
Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi
Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique
Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club
Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe
Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion
Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas
Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores
Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo
Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box
Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X
Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant
Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Tues. Apr. 12, 2022 – Istres, FR @ L’Usine