To fully understand the story of Tinariwen, you must also know the long history of the Tuareg, a nomadic desert tribe in northern Mali who were marginalized by their country's government for decades. The members of Tinariwen have lived through two Tuareg uprisings, a period as refugee soldiers in Qaddafi's Libyan army, and many years of obscurity and poverty as musicians. Tinariwen, however, have since gained a global ear and well-deserved acclaim for their unique music; they've become the figureheads of what is referred to as "assouf" music, a kind of Saharan, guitar-based blues that feels as rootless and free as the desert wind. Tinariwen founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib built his first guitar out of a stick, a can, and a piece of wire taken from a bicycle, and his playing still has that same ingenuity all these years later. by Ned Lannamann