Omara 'Bombino' Moctar to Play Zankel Hall, 12/6
On Friday, December 6 at 10:00 p.m., Omara "Bombino" Moctar, the Tuareg guitarist and singer known for electrifying music that captures a spirit of resistance and rebellion, performs in Zankel Hall. Born into an era of armed struggle along the border of Niger and Mali, Bombino is a member of the TuaregIfoghas tribe, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa who for centuries fought against colonialism and the imposition of strict Islamic rule. While echoing the influence of such guitar icons as Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, and fellow African musicians Tinariwen and Ali Farka Touré, Bombino is also lauded as a representation of a new generation of Tuareg musician-one that fuses traditional Berber rhythms with the energy of rock and roll and songs about peace.
Bombino made his Nonesuch Records debut with the release of Nomad on April 2, 2013. The album was recorded with 2013 Grammy Award-winning Producer of the Year Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys at his Nashville studio, Easy Eye Sound. Nomad debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Music album chart and iTunes World chart and has earned rave reviews from such outlets as the BBC World Service, which calls it "utterly, utterly fantastic" and Rolling Stone, which calls Nomad "a perfect match of sound and soul [that] introduces a new guitar hero."
