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GROUPE IMAWALANES
Mouhamad Ahar is born in 1963
in a touareg nomad family from
the Air-massif in Niger, close
to the village In-Gall, which is
approximately 150 km south-
west of Agadez. He is the son
of
Ahar and Tchibiltc, who was
a famous singer of traditional
dances in the 1960's.
He is the sixth son of twelve children
in his family.
In 1974, at the age of eleven, Mouma
was enrolled at the compulsory primary
school in Agadez. His father died in 1976.
When he finished his education at the "White people's School", he was sent
to the "Collège d'Enseignement Général"
in Agadez, which is similar
to a high
school, together with some friends, who
were sons of nomads, just as Mouma.
That time he was far from being ready
to face the life in the city
so he didn't
pass to the next school-level. Instead
he got expelled from college and ended
up on "the street". Mouma then chose
to leave the city and return to his
parents' camp-site to help them with
their daily
work.
He watered and
herded the cattle
and tried
to find
better pasture lands for them.
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Mohamad Ahar, better known as
Mouma - Touareg musician
When the peace treaty between the Nigerian govern-ment and the touareg rebels was signed in 1995, total
amnesty was granted to the parti-
cipants of the rebellion. Mouma, who
was called Bob
at that time, decided to return back
home and to dedicate his
life
completley to music. He quitted
the "OTA
l´orchestre T´Akrist N´Akale"
of his brother and became a ballade-singer.
Mouma is considered as a musician for performances for various events:
parties and special occasions such as weddings, christenings and receptions
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Just like the most touareg nomads,
his family had to witness their cattle
dieing during the long periods of drought
in the
70's and 80's. This meant the
end of nomad life, because without their
cattle the Touareg
lost their roots and
their hole existence too. They lived in
desolated conditions at the margins of
the cities,
like strangers to the city life
and therefore began reflecting the
reasons of their isolation. Hence the "Touaregs armed revolt" attracted
many young frustrated nomads
and
in 1992, Mouma decided to join and
fight with his companions in thought.
To enlighten the Touareg for the
rebellion and to convince other men
to join the rebels, they used poetry
and songs, which they recorded with
modest means spreat
in secrecy
among their brothers. The use of
touareg poetry and music, made of
the rhythm of the traditional tendé,
a special kind of drum - and the imzad,
a one string violin, which was
accompanied by a classical guitar,
became a real "social phenomen" -
and a danger to their practitioners.
In the Ténéré desert, Moumas family
had to move their camp-site almost
every day. That time Mouma's older
brother taught him the basics of the
four stringed guitar. Mouma had a
strong will to learn and a longing to communicate his ideas, and only
a
few months later he made his first
recording in the Ténéré. Between
1992 and 1993 he composed 11
pieces, which all concern the rebellion.
Copies of these recordings are still
sought after even though they had been
banned. Mouma supported the revolt
by organizing illegal concerts
in Algeria
and Libya and by sending all his earnings
from these events to
the rebels in Niger.
This new music style carried out the
message from the touareg rebels
from camp-site to camp-site, from
chamber to chamber and from friend
to friend. It was during these intensive moments, when the engagement for
the "noble" cause of the rebellion was
central to Mouma, when he made his
first steps into modern music by trying
to combine the tendé rhythm with reggae,
jazz and blues rythms. He even wore
his hair in dreadlocks, just down to
his shoulders.
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. He is starting to become known even abroad of Niger where he has
performed on several occasions. He decided to build up his own group,
called "IMAWALANES" which means elevateurs.
The groupe IMAWALANES is composed
of: leading guitar, traditionell Tendé, Associable (a kalebas put into a basin filled with water), drums, solo guitar, accompanying guitars, bass, 2 female singers. Choreography and dance: 2 Touareg dancers (Kel Tamacheq),
2 Peulh Wodabee dancers.
For small concerts the group engages eight, for bigger concerts up to thirteen musicians, whereas the "coregroup"
for miniconcerts consists of 4 musicians: two classical guitars, one tendé and
one assakhalabo.
Tendé is a african mortal which is used
to crush millet. It is covered with
goatskin and on both sides there are
two pestles connected with a rope. Normally, two young beautiful girls are chosen to sit next to the tendé and help the pestles to decide which rhythm and sound should be played. You can even beat the pestles with a rock to get the sound you desire to achieve. Assak-halabo is a container that is by two
thirds filled with water. In the water
floats an upside down kalebas which
is beaten in a desired rhythm with a
sandal, preferably a touareg sandal. Assakhalabo serves as a contrabass
to the tendé. It can also be effective
to let these instruments be accompanied by a saxophone, piano or a battery. Mouma often gives concerts with
electric guitar as well as playing solo.
Contact:
Mouhamad Ahar
BP 224
Agadez
Niger
Tel : +227 96 87 46 10
Email: moumaahar@yahoo.fr
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