Amassakoul

By the Tuareg band, Tinariwen. We thought "Arawan" was so powerful that we created a stage choreography called "Blue Diamonds" to be performed with our sister troupe, Devyani. "Blue" for protection from the evil eye and the indigo cloth worn by the Tuaregs in the Sahara. "Diamonds" for the five fingers of the traditional "hamza" pendant (I wear my pendant for every show and have it tattooed on my back-you'll also see it in the FCBD temporary tattoo.) From Kidal in eastern Mali, Tinariwen use both classic Tuareg instruments and electric guitars to tell us tales of adventure, misfortune and the triumph of the human spirit. Although their message is serious-the desert culture is being destroyed by drought and poverty-their skillful use of modern electric instruments is the way to make themselves heard around the world. Listen!