Algerian Tuareg group, Imarhan, will bring a rare performance of desert rock to No Fun, October 18

TROY — On Tuesday, October 18, Algerian Tuareg desert rock quintet Imarhan will give a rare and very special performance at No Fun. The show continues No Fun’s commitment to bringing exciting new musical acts to the region that you won’t hear anywhere else. It’s not a show you want to miss.

Although the backbone of Imarhan’s music is based on the traditional beats and flourishes of Tamasheq alliances and Assouf music pioneered by Tinariwen, Imarhan’s songs are decidedly contemporary, linking the past and the future. Their third studio album, Aboogi, was released in January of this year, on City Slang. The diversity, beauty and struggles of life in Imarhan’s hometown of Tamanrasset in southern Algeria are reflected in the songs of Aboogi, the first album the band recorded in their native land in a studio they built themselves. It features Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals, as well as Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni from Tinariwen and poet Mohamed Ag Itlale (also known as Japanese) from the Tamanrasset arts community. Following the uplifting Temet (2018, City Slang), this new album is as serene and open as the desert from which it emerged.

Imarhan’s musical world has always been broad, based on the traditional sounds of the Tuareg people but fiercely individualistic and embracing the many styles they encounter. On Aboogi they are emerging as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and social change. That connection is felt in today’s “Achinkad” video, which shows the band playing music around a fire and dancers walking through a desert.

Opening the bill that night is Bad Dream Adventure (Zakariya from Bruiser and Bicycle from Albany, who is part Algerian), and Ester (Keegan, also from Bruiser and Bicycle), with a shared set.

TICKET INFORMATION

Doors are at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $16 the day of the show and can be purchased here. For more information, visit https://www.nofuntroy.com/.