Mdou Moctar Shares Explosive Desert Rock Workout 'Chismiten'

Clash

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He's signed to Matador Records...

Desert rock guitarist *Mdou Moctar* has signed to Matador Records.

The prodigious guitarist is already a cult phenomenon, having taken the lead role in Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai, the first Tuareg language film – a sort of reimagining of Prince’s Purple Rain.

Now signed to Matador Records, his astonishing guitar theatre will gain a broader audience, beginning with 'Chismiten'.

Out now, the single is a blizzard of wild lead guitar, tumbling together into a kind of alternative reality pop song.

The video blends illustrations by artist Robert Beatty with animation and mobile phone footage from Niger, boasting wedding performances by the band, alongside markets, the famed Agadez Mosque, and more.

“The song is about how people in a relationship lose their sense of self, they become jealous and envious of others”, explains Mdou. “It is not about one specific person, but about all people in the world. I turn to Allah for guidance not to be that person”.

Check out 'Chismiten' below.

Photo Photo: *Cem Misirlioglu*

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