The band is a formation of tuaregs and wodaabe. The band was formed in january 2004. It is the first group at all with wodaabe people making modern music. Etran Finatawa-literally the stars of tradition- was born as a group of 10 musiciens who want to bring the two rich nomad cultures together, profit one of the other and to create a new music-style: Nomad..s blues. The tour group consists of 6 musicians.
Wodaabe and Tuaregs share the same regions for living, but their music is very different:
Wodaabe sing in a traditional matter, they put traditional costumes and make up on. They do not use any instruments but sing in a multivocal way while they dance in slow motion. Their dance, their costumes and their rhythm is unique in the world. Tuareg people have always used instruments, violins and drums to animate their songs and dances. Since the seventies the guitar has found its way in tuareg music. This style is called Ichumar and is a part of Etran Finatawa's repertoire. Etran Finatawa combines the two rich cultures: Their songs are in two languages, tuareg language (tamasheck) and Wodaabe language (fulfulde). The band instrumentalizes the polyphonic songs of the wodaabe people by means of traditional percussion like calebashes and tende, a traditional tuareg drum. The rhythm is given by a guitar. The polyphonic choir of wodaabe singers gives a special note to their music. Handclapping and the rich percussion leads the songs, invite to dance. Their melodies, their rythms, their voices create a sound picture of the sahelian grasslands, the desert. Their songs talk about nomad's life, isolation and liberty, they talk about happy days, and love and festivities as well as about bad days, droughts, poverty and exode.
Recordings
New CD "Desert crossroads"to be released in APRIL 2008 with world Music Network/Riverboat
www.worldmusic.net
"Introducing Etran Finatawa" INTRO105CD, produced by World Music Network London summer 2005, released spring 2006
"Tissiway Fidjo", produced by Etran Finatawa Niger 2004/2005
Contact
Managment: Sandra van Edig
Email: etranfinatawa add yahoo.fr
www.etranfinatawa.com
Press comments about Etran Finatawa
"Electric guitars and traditional instrument sent wine like old friends as rustic call-and-response vocals stir up the desert heat. Comparisons aside, this debut is dynamite." (Global Rhythm, Sep.2006)
"Introducing Etran Finatawa is a musical experience full of life in a desert environment that is seemingly lifeless." (Inside World Music)
"Electric guitars and traditional instruments entwine like old friends as rustic call-and –response vocals stir up the desert heat. Comparisions aside, this debut is dynamite." (Global Rhythm (New York) – September 06)
"Just listen to the guitar solos on A Dunya and you'll be instantly seduced by the beauty of this music which has its roots in the West African country of Niger. Marvel at Iledeman and in the driving 12-bar structure you can hear the real roots of American blues." (Sydney Morning Herald – August 2006)
"It seems Etran Finatawa are on a mission of far greater urgency than just making us dance to their gorgeous grooves". (The Independent, 31 July 2006, Feature by Andy Morgan)
Etran Finatawa Tour program 2007
Australia/New Zealand
28/2-18/3 WOMAD Adelaide Australia
WOMAD TARANAKI New Zealand
Brazil state of Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina
28/3-10/4
Europe summer tour 18/5-22/7/07
Asia
22. Aug WOMAD Singapore
www.womad-singapore.com
Europe winter tour 2007
28/11-8/12/07
2008
16-30th April
USA
1stMay-mid July
Europe
July 08
USA /Canada
Sep 08
USA
Oct-Nov 2008
UK/Europe
THIS TOUR IS SUPPORTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR THE FRANCOPHONIE OIF
FIREWATER - LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS! Last shows until October!
Jun 26 : Larz, GERMANY : Fusion Festival Jun 27 : Audincourt, FRANCE : Rencontres & Racines Jun 28 : Istanbul, TURKEY : Balkan Soundz Festival July 02 : Dornbirn, AUSTRIA : Speilboden July 03 : Bulle, SWITZERLAND : Gibloux Festival July 04 : Jena, GERMANY : JG Stadtmitte July 05 : Hradec Kralove, CZECH R.: Rock For People July 06 : Vienna, AUSTRIA : Szene Wein July 08 : Linz, AUSTRIA : Posthof July 10 : Steyr, AUSTRIA : Röda July 11 : Bologna, ITALY : Mondiali Antirazzisti July 12 : Milano, ITALY : Magnolia Festival July 13 : Colmar, FRANCE : Hiero July 15 : Paris, FRANCE : Batofar July 17 : Pozega, CROATIA : Dirty Old Empire Festival July 18 : Veszprem, HUNGARY : Utcazene Fesztivál July 24 : Riberac, FRANCE : Le Grand Souk Festival July 25 : Gdynia, POLAND : Globaltica Festival July 31 : Namur, BELGIUM : Esperanzha Festival Aug 01 : Habere-Poche, FRANCE : Rock'n'Poche Festival Aug 02 : Bladel, NETHERLANDS : Bladelse Zomerfeesten
> Bellydancers in costume get in free at all club shows!
> More shows are still being added, so check the Firewater MySpace page for updates.
> This message was sent by an evil robot. So if you are somewhere other than Europe and can't escape, we're sorry. We'll be back again someday soon.
Les labels Reaktion & Tapsit sont très heureux de vous présenter 2 nouvelles productions de musique touarègue :
TERAKAFT : LIVE 2008 6 titres enregistrés live pendant la tournée Européenne 2008, avant que Kedou ne quitte le groupe. Inclus 2 titres inédits : “Targa” et “Ewarnanagh”
AZAWAD : LIVE 1999 Derrière le nom d’Azawad se cachent trois membres d’origine du collectif Tinariwen : Abdallah, Hassan et Kedou. Voici les enregistrements live réalisés en 1999 à Angers, de ce qui peut être consideré comme le premier concert de Tinariwen hors d’Afrique.
Les 2 albums sont disponibles uniquement en téléchargement sur toutes les plateformes légales (iTunes, emusic...). En exclusivité sur tamasheq. net : les morceaux + les livrets numériques (anglais & français).
Thanks a million Etran for joining our ministry of Blues. It's all about peace, love, understanding, and GROOVE! Hope to perform for you sometime. Enjoyed your music very much. Wishing you the very best in Blues and life! -Big Daddy
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