One of Tuareg music's modern-day innovators,
Mdou Moctar rose to fame through the cell phone music-trading networks of Africa's Sahel region before finding international success through a series of albums on the Portland-based Sahel Sounds label. Based in Niger,
Moctar's enthusiastic embrace of Western influences has led to a number of interesting projects: he starred in a Tuareg-language homage to Purple Rain, recorded a smoldering psychedelic album in Detroit, and now makes his debut on one of America's premier indie rock labels. Released by Matador Records,
Afrique Victime doubles down on
Moctar's reputation as a Saharan guitar hero with
Hendrix-like panache and the ability to shred pentatonic scales like
Prince. Over the propulsive rhythms of "Chismiten" and "Taliat" he updates the desert blues with fearless rock & roll swagger counterpointed by affirmations on acceptance and the sadness of a broken heart. Elsewhere, he and his band explore softer acoustic textures on the sweetly devotional love song "Tala Tannam" and the slinky "Layla." While the overriding tone of
Afrique Victime is one of joy and love, the title cut itself is a harrowing condemnation of colonial brutality. Clocking in at nearly seven-and-a-half minutes long, "Afrique Victime" is both the sonic and emotional centerpiece as
Moctar cycles through centuries of crimes against the continent, building the song into a frenzied epic of guitar wizardry. Dynamic, but well-balanced, this collection is perhaps the most conclusive example of
Moctar's multidimensional talents to date. ~ Timothy Monger