The members of Etran de L'Aïr belong to the Touareg people, a traditional itinerant people of cattle breeders. Their parents settled in the city of Agadez, in northern Niger, in the middle of the Sahara and the musicians belong to one of the first generations of Nigerians with a permanent place of residence. In Agadez's vibrant music scene, where bands compete to get the most gigs at weddings,
… Etran de L'Aïr has secured a permanent place. They have played in every square meter of the city. The album No. 1 recorded with a cell phone was named album of the year in 2020 by The New Yorker magazine and has also brought the band more and more gigs abroad. Second album Agadez, in addition to a significant improvement in sound quality, contains more compact songs than its predecessor. This makes the band sound more accessible, but not at the expense of the hypnotic nature of the music. Leaning on a drummer who - as if fleeing from the devil - does not allow himself a moment's pause, the guitarists in particular are completely absorbed in the trance. The so-called desert blues has become known thanks to bands such as Tinariwen, but Etran de l'Aïr is certainly one of the most interesting groups in the genre. (JV)more
