Tinariwen
The orchestra, which is Malian but with a Tuareg culture and identity, was founded in 1979 in Algeria, where it initially played at weddings and major celebrations. Soon afterwards, they were sent to a Libyan refugee camp to train fighters against the Tuareg resistance, where they spent several years. Unsurprisingly, the lyrics of the songs, which are a fusion of Tuareg style and psychedelic guitar music, echo political expressions and advocacy of the uprising.
Schedule
Tinariwen released their ninth studio album, Amatssou, last year. The album was recorded in special circumstances, as it was recorded in a Mauritanian camp, practically under the stars: in an oasis in the southern Algerian desert, among rocky peaks and sky-scraping sandstones, in a makeshift studio made of tents. The album seamlessly blends banjo, fiddle and pedal steel guitar with the Tuareg band's trademark snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves.
In over 40 years of existence, the band has played more than 1100 concerts worldwide,
and three of their nine albums to date have been nominated for Grammy Awards. One of them, Tassili, won the award for Best World Music Album in 2012.
Akvárium
As they describe themselves, it is Budapest's most frequented venue, which is also multifunctional. Akvárium is great for award ceremonies, afternoon coffees and, most importantly, concerts, thanks to the well-picked, cross-genre selection.