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AFROPENTATONISM

Sounds of the Sahel flowing with the Nile

An artistic challenge based around two world-famous musicians: desert blues man Alhousseini Anivolla from Niger and Girum Mezmur, jazz guitarist from Ethiopia, supported by four outstanding ethiopian musicians. Sadly, legendary mandolin player Ayele Mamo passed away in April 2021. (RIP Ayele Mamo)​​

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An unique collaboration from two unlikely regions of Africa. It is an experimental project at the very essence which keeps on still evolving wherever it goes. It is not an end product.

 

Ethno, blues, jazz, african:

World music at its finest!​

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Album  "Afropentatonism"

released on July 3rd 2020 on Piranha Records, Berlin

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"Forging new African music"

(Songlines, 8/ 2020)

 

"A breath of fresh air"

(Rhythm passport 7/2020)

 

 "Virtuosic and inspiring demonstration of artistic exchange, togetherness and commonality" 

(Greedy for best music 7/2020 )

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"Intertwining solos and nicely snakey grooves!

...A really seductive feel" 

(Dusty groove 07/2020)

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Nine years after "Osas-it´s time!" and six years after "Afropentatonism", TIMCHAR bursts onto the scene with a fully reimagined sonic identity. The encounter with ANEWAL’s childhood hero, Sam Fan Thomas, ignited a musical spark that opened a completely new dimension for the experienced desert blues man:  Desert Blues collides with Makossa—raw, vibrant, and unlike anything heard before. This is the story behind the sound.

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“I remember watching Sam on Niger public TV, in black and white, and we all wanted to dance like him,” ANEWAL says. That memory became collaboration. Recorded at Studio Makassi, TIMCHAR blends ANEWAL’s grainy vocal, cyclical guitar lines and intimate performance with Sam Fan Thomas’s production and guest vocals. Additional sessions in Berlin with Tunde Agonglo extend the album’s human scale across continents.

The title TIMCHAR means “things that have gone.” Dedicated to ANEWAL’s mother and to the transmission of Tamashek culture, the album treats memory as something alive — moving through new rooms, new relationships and new rhythm.

“Desert blues has always been about connection,” ANEWAL reflects. “With Sam Fan Thomas, I found a new way to carry my story forward.”

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TIMCHAR continues Alhousseini’s long tradition of creative encounters — from Etran Finatawa to collaborations with Guy Buttery, Huun Huur Tu and Girum Mezmur — opening yet another chapter in a career defined by innovation, exchange and deep cultural roots. More information on: World Music Network UK

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Photo credits: Jean Molitor

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