About
Mdou Moctar is a Nigerien guitarist, singer, and songwriter who performs modern rock music inspired by Tuareg guitar music. Born Mahamadou Souleymane, he first gained attention in West Africa through a trading network of mobile phones and memory cards. His work blends traditional Saharan styles like takamba and assouf with fiery psychedelic rock. Moctar\'s early career was defined by DIY ingenuity, including building his first guitar from bicycle cables and recording the autotuned cult classic Anar in 2008. Since signing with Matador Records, he has expanded his sound with a full band, earning international acclaim for his virtuosic "desert blues" shredding and lyrics sung in the Tamasheq language.
