Nigerian rock band, ‘Etran de L’Aïr‘, has gifted us their latest single release ‘Agadez’.

Etran de L’Aïr (The Stars of the Air) is a family band formed by brothers and cousins born and raised in Abalane, a small neighbourhood near the grand mosque. The band was formed in 1995, when the current band leader, Moussa “Abindi” Ibra was just nine years old. In the beginning, they had quite an economic struggle, but their devotion to music ultimately brought them to fame.

Etran de L’Aïr mainly play a pan-African style that reflects their hometown, citing a myriad of cultural influences, including Northern Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, and Congolese Soukous. Their music perfectly suits different festivals or celebrations like the traditional Agadez wedding, with overwhelming melodies & counter melodies of guitars, and simultaneous solo playing over bass and treble guitar over one another with a restrained precision.

Agadez starts with a melodious guitar solo accompanied by the bass and drum rhythm, which turns into a further uplifting movement in the verse. With the steady drumming rhythm throughout the 4-minute-long track, the guitar melody sounds simply marvellous, shifting from one melody to another very fast but with a smooth transition. The song is full of positive energy, and singing in Tamasheq certainly pushes the celebration to a different level, and nodding with the rhythm.

Performing for over 30 years, Etran de L’Aïr is immensely popular with the locals, and their fame has also reached international level. A beloved classic back home and one of their most requested songs at weddings, Agadez holds a special place in the hearts of many. While the track is considered their standard, they still have many secrets to reveal!

‘Agadez’ lands on the 4th of April via Sahel Sounds. Stream below and save the date in your diary to head to their Bandcamp page for the digital download.