Mdou Moctar is a special presence on the desert blues scene. The Niger-based singer, guitarist and songwriter became known because his music was shared from phone to phone via bluetooth. After gaining fame this way in Africa, things moved much faster in the rest of the world. His albums
Ilana: The Creator (2019) and
Afrique Victime (2021) finished high on annual lists of many music critics. It is
… clear why his music is catching on in the West: more so than other desert rockers like Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar's music is grafted onto Western rock music. So the comparison with Jimi Hendrix is easily made. The influence of 60s psychedelic rock in particular can also be heard on Funeral For Justice, albeit in a much more uplifting variant. His music is imploring and his lyrics are committed. For example, he fiercely criticizes France (Oh France) and in Modern Slaves he sings about how large parts of the world look away knowingly. Moctar has an international stage and rightly takes advantage of it. (JV)more
