Track: Mdou Moctar - Funeral For Justice

Nigerien quartet Mdou Moctar are set to release their new album ‘Funeral For Justice’ on the 3rd of May. Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2019 breakout Afrique Victime, it captures the Nigerien quartet consisting of Moctar, rhythm guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane, drummer Souleymane Ibrahim, and American bassist and producer Mikey Coltun. The band have shared the video for the album’s blistering title track.

The songs on Funeral For Justice speak unflinchingly to the plight of Niger and of the Tuareg people. “This album is really different for me,” explains Moctar, the band’s singer, namesake, and indisputably iconic guitarist. “Now the problems of terrorist violence are more serious in Africa. When the US and Europe came here, they said they’re going to help us, but what we see is really different. They never help us to find a solution.”

On the lead single and title track, Moctar addresses African leaders directly, bidding them:

“Retake control of your countries, rich in resources / Build them and quit sleeping”. The song ‘Sousoume Tamacheq’ deals with the plight of the Tuareg people to which the band belong, and who are mainly spread across three countries: Niger, Mali and Algeria. “Oppressed in all three/In addition to lack of unity, ignorance is the third issue.” Another song, ‘Imouhar’, calls on the Tuareg to preserve their Tamasheq language – it’s at risk of dying out, and Mdou is one of the few in his community who knows how to write it. “People here are just using French,” laments Mdou. “They’re starting to forget their own language. We feel like in a hundred years no one will speak good Tamasheq, and that’s so scary for us.”

A blistering introduction to the bands new album with a math rock style storming riff and passionate vocals. You can track the growth in confidence and song craft with each album Moctor releases and with this first track this may be one of their finest albums yet.