Last month Saharan desert-psych band Tinariwen announced their ninth studio album, titled Amadjar and as a teaser, have shared the second single “Zawal.” The song features violin from Warren Ellis, best known for his work with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Other guests on the song include Noura Mint Seymalia and Jeiche Ould Chighaly. It follows the release of the first single “Taqkal Tarha” which features Micah Nelson — actor and son of country music legend Willie Nelson.

The Grammy-winning group of Tuareg musicians have called on a great deal of guest artists to perform on Amadjar, including Ellis, Nelson, Seymali and Chighaly, Stephen O’Malley of SUNN O)) and Cass McCombs. The band’s last album Elwan was released in 2017 after a three year wait from their previous album, Emmaar.

In addition to the new song from Amadjar, the band has also announced a long North American and European tour. It begins on September 12 in Austin, TX and hits virtually every major metropolitan market in the United States, though doesn’t venture much into the American South other than a stop in Austin, TX and Dallas, TX, Winston-Salem, NC and Atlanta, Georgia. It seems highly intentional and a smart move considering that one of the four elicited a chorus of racist comments from locals.

Then they’ll head to France in mid-October with dates following in Denmark, Germany, Norway Sweden, Ireland and the United Kingdom. We recently caught the band’s set at Psycho Las Vegas 2018, where the band more than held their own among the heavier-leaning artists at the festival.

Tinariwen Fall 2019 Tour Dates

9/12 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
9/14 – Dallas, TX – Canton Hall
9/16 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
9/17 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Ramkat
9/19 – Washington D.C. – Lincoln Theatre
9/20 – Boston, MA – Royale
9/21 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
9/22 – North Adams, MA – Freshgrass Festival
9/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
9/26 – Quebec City, Canada – L’Imperial Bell
9/27 – Montreal, Canada – QC Mtelus
9/28 – Toronto, Canada – Danforth Music Hall
9/30 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Ballroom
10/1 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10/2 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl w/ Vampire Weekend
10/4 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
10/5 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
10/7 – Seattle, WA – Taper Auditorium
10/8 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
10/9 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
10/11 – San Francisco, CA – The UC Theatre
10/12 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up
10/16 – Argenteuil, France – Le Figuier Blanc
10/17 – Quimper, France – Theatre de Cornouailles
10/20 – La Rochelle, France – La Sirene
10/23 – Paris, France – Casino de Paris
10/28 – Copenhagen, Denmark
10/29 – Aarhus, Denmark – Aarhus Train
10/30 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Zhaak
10/31 – Berlin, Germany – Festaal Kreuzberg
11/2 – Oslo, Norway – Oslo World Music Festival
11/3 – Gothenberg, Sweden – Goteborgs Symfoniker
11/4 – Stockholm, Sweden
11/11 – Dublin, Ireland – Olympia
11/12 – Bristol, UK – Trinity
11/13 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Cathedral
11/14 – London, UK – Earth

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat