Tinariwen have been instrumental in bringing the soulful, trance-inducing sound of the Tuaregs—who hail from the Sahara Desert in northern Mali—to the West. On albums like Aman Iman: Water Is Life, Imidiwan: Companions, Tassili, and Elwan, Tinariwen infuse the blues with rigorous, uplifting rhythms and mesmerizing, cyclical guitar motifs over which Ibrahim Ag Alhabib’s spirited vocals (often shadowed by massed chants) flow like medicine for the heart. The music’s essential timeless poignancy remains the engine behind Tinariwen’s caravan of moving, dusty jams. It’s a tribute to Seattle that a group this sublime can play a venue as large as Benaroya Hall. by Dave Segal