Tal National are from Niamey, the capital of the landlocked West African country of Niger. The band formed in 2000, starting first as a hobby for three friends, and by 2009 established themselves as the most popular and successful band in Niger. Other Nigerien bands have made a bigger splash outside of Niger (i.e. Bombino), but within the borders of home – Tal National are the superstars. In this joyously hypnotic, highly unique contribution to West African guitar music, with its lightening fast rhythms and rotating cast of vocalists, can be heard the history of Niger as a cultural crossroads along ancient trade routes. Collected within the former French colony can be found Songhai, Fulani, Hausa, and Tuareg populations, all of whom are represented in Tal National’s members. In the music we hear the rolling 12/8 rhythms in the Hausa’s Fuji percussion, the pensive aridity of the Tuareg’s assouf or “blues,” and the exquisite “griot guitar” of Mali’s Songhai, all delivered with virtuoso precision and unrelenting energy.
Tal National
