Kader Tarhanine

An important name in modern Tuareg music, Kader Tarhanine, has become one of the most followed artists in the Sahara. He was born Kader Sabou in Algeria and assumed his artistic name after his song “Tarhanine Tegla” (“My love is gone”), the tune sung by the Tuareg diaspora around the world. His music is inspired by the rich repertoire of the Sahel-Saharan area (Mali-Niger-Algeria) where he was raised. Kader combines traditional rhythms with rock tones and poetic Sahelian and Arabic lyrics. He crossed Sahara several times to perform and live on both sides of it. His collaborations on stage or in the studio with some of Mali’s top artists, such as Fatoumata Diawara and Sidiki Diabaté, made him an ambassador of peace between the northern and southern regions of Mali, long torn by political and ethnic conflicts. The idea to invite Kader Tarhanine came during the research trip to Mali where we met the artistic director of the Festival au désert in Timbuktu, Manny Ansar. The ISIS-related terrorism prevented this Saharan festival from happening for more than ten years. Ever since the Festival au désert, that used to showcase traditional Tuareg music, and its artists has been in exile and continued to appear elsewhere. With Culturescapes 2023 Sahara, it has five concerts in Switzerland. Artist website