Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, who after witnessing the murder of his father had become a child living in the refugee camps in Algeria, founded the group. Fascinated by the guitar, he fashioned one out of a tin can, stick and bicycle brake wire until he was given a guitar from a local Arab man. During the late 70s he joined fellow musicians in the Tuareg rebel community and formed a group with Alhassane Ag Touhami, Inteyeden Ag Ablil and Liya Ag Ablil while in Tamanrasset, Algeria. Together they would play at parties and weddings in 1979.
In 1985 they met fellow musicians Keddou Ag Ossade, Mohammed Ag Itlale, Sweiloum Abouhadid and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and they formed a collective now known as Tinariwen. They made songs about issues facing Tuareg people, and started to record music with the intention of making the music free for anyone who could provide a cassette tape, which ended up being widely traded around the Sahara region. In January 1991, when the Tamanrasset Accords peace agreement was signed, the musicians left the military to concentrate solely on music.
By 1998 the group came to the attention of French world music ensemble Lo’Jo, and in 2001 the groups joined together for a performance in France at the Festival Au Desert. The appearance brought more attention to Tinariwen and consequently the group made more appearances at different festivals throughout 2001. That same year they also recorded their first CD entitled “The Radio Tisdas Sessions,” serving as the start of their successful career.
In 2011 they released their fifth studio album entitled “Tassili,” and had made an appearance at the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa. “Tassili” won the award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards, followed be a huge tour and television appearances.
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