Sastanàqqàm
SASTANÀQQÀM
Artist: Tinariwen
Songwriter(s): Tinariwen (primarily Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni)
Genre: Desert Blues / Tuareg Guitar / Tishoumaren
Album: Elwan (2017)
Listen on YouTube:
This captivating live rendition of “Sastanàqqàm” was recorded in 2024 for the Infinity Sessions at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Tinariwen’s signature desert blues weaves hypnotic Tuareg rhythms, chanting, and electric guitars into a trance-like celebration of the Sahara’s vastness and nomadic life.
Originally from the 2017 album Elwan, “Sastanàqqàm” (meaning “I Question You”) is an ode to the Ténéré desert, pondering the essentials of the nomad’s journey: friends, a mount, water, and the wind’s momentum—while embracing the enduring pull of the homeland.
With its shuffling groove and soaring call-and-response, ‘Sastanàqqàm’ evokes the timeless rhythm of camel caravans across endless dunes, blending melancholy longing with joyful resilience.
Tinariwen's founder, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, built his first guitar as a child from an oil can, stick, and bicycle brake wire after witnessing his father's execution during a 1963 Tuareg rebellion—sparking the "desert blues" sound.
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