Tenere Taqhim Tossam

Tinariwen, 2011, from Tassili. Solo by Tinariwen.

A largely acoustic track from the Grammy-winning Tassili, with guest vocals from TV on the Radio members.

Tenere Taqhim Tossam comes from Tassili, the largely acoustic album that won Tinariwen a Grammy, and it shows how much the band's guitar style depends on feel rather than volume. Unplugged, the interlocking patterns sound more intimate, each picked note clearly audible in the mix. Guest vocals from members of TV on the Radio add a different texture without disturbing the groove. The acoustic setting reveals the rhythmic precision underneath the band's electric records, and it proved that their music could work just as well at a whisper. Listen for the way the guitars leave space around the voices, stepping in with short melodic answers rather than filling every gap.

Tenere Taqhim Tossam by Tinariwen is featured in our Desert Blues (#5) list. The solo is played by Tinariwen and the song was released in 2011.

In our lists

• Beyond the Canon — #41
• The Greatest Desert Blues Guitar Songs — #5
• Guest Solos — #11
• The Best Tinariwen Guitar Solos — #10

Sources