Nigerien and Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar has shared “Imouhar,” the latest single off Moctar’s forthcoming album Funeral for Justice.
With kaleidoscopic guitar work, soaring vocals, and rapid-fire drumming, Mdou Moctar and his band build to a scorching, satisfying crescendo in “Imouhar.” The word “Imouhar” for the Tuareg means “brother” or “comrade;” as Mdou says in a statement, it’s a way of establishing common unity within the Tuareg people.
The anti-colonialist song calls for the preservation of Tamasheq language, which is quickly dying out: “People here are just using French,” Moctar says. “They’re starting to forget their own language. We feel like in a hundred years no one will speak good Tamasheq, and that’s so scary for us.” In his native Tamasheq, Moctar spells out his concerns throughout “Imouhar,” at one point singing, “Waking up one day our kids can’t speak Tamasheq/ They can’t speak Tamasheq nor write it” and later on “Turbans and camels, symbols of our legacy and pride.”
The song arrives with a music video directed by Laura Greenhall depicting Mdou Moctar and his band performing the song in a studio. After a brief opening wide shot, the video quickly becomes a collage of close-ups, emphasizing each band member’s expressions and Mdou Moctar’s dizzying guitar work. Watch the video below.
Funeral for Justice is Mdou Moctar’s first album since his 2021 breakout Afrique Victime, which was the musician’s first effort on Matador Records. In support of Funeral for Justice, the group will play numerous shows in America and Europe throughout the year, including appearances at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and more. Get tickets to all of Mdou Moctar’s US tour dates here, and all international dates on viagogo.