Azel

Saharan guitar virtuoso Omara Moctar, a.k.a. Bombino, augments his desert blues with hard-driving rock showpieces and fragile acoustic ballads. Aided by producer Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors) and vocalist Mama “Mahassa” Walet Amoumine, Bombino adds a few new sounds to his globe-spanning arsenal, like the Jamaican-inspired detours into smoky dub that enlivens the Led Zeppelin swagger of “Iyat Ninhay / Jaguar.” But the guitarist’s unplugged excursions continue to amaze—love songs like “Inar” and “Igmayagh Dum” ripple with ease, while stark closing track “Naqqim Dagh Timshar” offers a tribute to the martyrs of his Niger homeland.

Produced by Dirty Projectors leader Dave Longstreth, the virtuosic Saharan guitarist Bombino’s latest album features a sublime iteration of desert blues that’s both authentic and ambitious.

The nomadic guitar virtuoso Bombino releases his third full-length, Azel, produced by Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth.