Bombino - Azel


Bombino
Azel
2016
Spotify

When we think of the Middle East or Africa guitar licks and bluesy rhythms may be one of the last things that comes to mind. A stifling authoritarian government, constant warfare and tons of outside influencers don't seem like the best breeding ground for this kind of rock & roll, but with Bombino it is. It is through that prism that Bombino's music comes as a downright celebration of his culture while grounding it in that good old rock & roll that everyone simply loves deep in their bones. Being from Niger which at one point actually had a ban on guitars (that's right guitars) this album seems almost impossible, but here Bombino is taking bright tones and a doubled electric guitar making some of the best classic rock we have heard in some time. His blending of different styles on Azel may be some of the best work he has done. While purists will fret at the crossing of cultures musically, it makes for a sound that is interesting, new and exciting. "Inar" which only features the bare minimum of instrumentation, an acoustic guitar and drum block, soars like the best sing-a-long you've ever been to even though you don't know the words. But that is the great thing about this music, it is so interconnected to the world that there is a little piece here for everyone to connect to. Often we listen with a very American ear, so hearing a different language may be challenging but Bombino is so effortless in everything He does that it doesn't matter what language he chooses to sing in.

This style is called Taureg (also named for the nomadic people who live in the Sahra desert) and just like rock it has it's gods and Bombino is evolving into one of them. You won't hear a great deal of shredding on Azel because it really wouldn't fit. Of course Bombino could let loose and come at us with a killer solo, but his licks are so intricate and all encompassing that there simply is no need. You don't want it, you just want to jump and dance with every bit that He is giving you. While the music sounds bright you can feel the sorrow of a man who has been exiled from his country for well over 15 years, has fled countless military encounters and as a four year old watched his father being executed. This gives someone both a great appreciation for life and a fierce desire to make things better going forward. What you are listening to is a battle cry for understanding and autonomy, and though you can't understand the words the sentiment pours through this record. There is simply something about this album in particular that feels both comfortable and known but also this sense of the horizon and what can possibly be new. Desert blues may be a road to far for some but Bombino makes them so accessible that anyone who listens with understand perhaps without even knowing it. Azel is a record that you should not miss, both because it's good, but mostly because it matters.

8.9 out of 10

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