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.
Fri 11/6 schedule
Mdou Moctar · 9:50 PM – 10:45 PM · Baba Yaga Down @ Baba Yaga Down
- 6:50 PM – 7:45 PMEmily Kokal (Warpaint)
- 8:25 PM – 9:05 PMjjuujjuu
- 9:50 PM – 10:45 PMMdou MoctarThis set
- 11:40 PM – 12:40 AMNight Beats
- 6:20 PM – 6:50 PMMuneca
- 7:40 PM – 8:25 PMCarrion Kids
- 9:05 PM – 9:50 PMSpoon Benders
- 10:40 PM – 11:35 PMDowntown Boys
- 12:40 AM – 1:40 AMOrihuela MSS
- 6:45 PM – 7:30 PMErica Rose and the Ragged School
- 8:00 PM – 8:45 PMBiblioteka
- 9:25 PM – 10:10 PMSkating Polly
- 11:00 PM – 11:50 PMThe Macks
- 7:30 PM – 8:00 PMNew Stallions
- 8:40 PM – 9:15 PMNaked Giants
- 10:10 PM – 11:00 PMPackaging
- 12:00 AM – 1:00 AMRose City Band
- 7:30 PM – 8:00 PMShifters!!
- 8:20 PM – 9:00 PMCASI
- 9:20 PM – 10:00 PMSerpentfoot
- 10:20 PM – 11:05 PMAlex Vile
- 11:30 PM – 12:20 AMKing Youngblood
babaobscura.com/artists/mdou-moctar · Nov 5–8, 2026 · Pioneer Square, Seattle
