Tuareg Guitarist Bombino Releases Sixth Album 'Deran'

Bombino, the Tuareg guitarist born in Agadez, Niger, is poised for international stardom with his sixth album 'Deran', released in May. Self-taught and singing in Tamasheq, he cites Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler as influences, having discovered them through unlabeled cassettes arriving from the desert. His 2010 triumphant concert at the Grand Mosque of Agadez, captured on video, attracted top producers, leading to his 2013 album 'Nomad' and a US tour. 'Deran' was recorded in Casablanca at a studio owned by the King of Morocco, representing Bombino's most authentic work without Anglo-Saxon producer filters. Bombino, whose nickname is a distortion of the Italian word 'bambino', is known for his fluid Fender Stratocaster playing and is helping popularize 'desert blues' as a major world music genre.