On a warmer-than-usual night in February, lauded psychedelic Tuareg band Mdou Moctar came to grace the stage at the Arden Gild Hall, a hidden oasis tucked away in the woods in a village close to Wilmington, Delaware. Opening act Janel Leppin, an esteemed cellist, took the stage first and commanded the room with the electric sound of her stringed instrument. If you closed your eyes, you might sometimes even mistake her cello's distorted sounds for a guitar. Janel gave a passionate performance that included crescendos ranging from soft and delicate to thunderous and booming, telling stories without words and even informing the audience that one instrumental piece was about a unicorn. The audience remained quiet and transfixed throughout her performance and she told intricate sonic tales with her cello alone.
Next, when lead guitarist and vocalist Mahamadou Souleymane and his band took the stage, the audience knew they were in for an unforgettable evening of vibrant rhythms and soulful melodies of Tuareg protest music. The band, hailing from Niger, rose to prominence from the Sahel Sounds scene and has become a smashing success in America because of their innovative blend of traditional Saharan sounds and contemporary, psychedelic blues influences. The band brought with them a full performance of their newest album, “Tears of Injustice”, an acoustic rework of their 2024 smash success, “Funeral for Justice”. In 2023, due to political conflict in their home country of Niger, 3/4 of the band was left unable to return home. These feelings of homesickness and sadness are what brought about “Tears of Injustice” and marked a real turning point for the band sonically. While the conflict has evolved and they have since been able to return home, the pain they felt lives on in the performance of their music. The audience was captivated as Mdou, along with his band, Ahmoudou on guitar, Souleymane on the drums, and Mikey on the bass told their tale of the injustices they’ve faced through their emotive music. Mdou’s incredibly complex guitar work will leave you stunned, combining intricate fingerpicking styles and polyrhythms. The show even just so happened to coincide with Souleymane’s birthday, as he was treated to a surprise of cake and balloons in between songs.
While we may not understand the language in the songs they are singing, you can feel the emotionally heavy resonance in his voice of the topics being sung about, like poverty, heartbreak for your country under political duress, and colonial exploitation. As the show concluded with a rousing performance of their song “Modern Slaves”, you really feel like you attended much more than just a concert; it was a celebration of music that transcends cultural boundaries and connects people through the shared experience of musical storytelling, a rich cultural exchange that one feels incredibly lucky to be a part of. For a taste of the magic this band conjures up and to see the band playing in their home country of Niger, check out their newest video “The Agadez Folders: Live at Mdou’s House” out now on YouTube.
mdou moctar
janel leppin
