Mdou Moctar

an upcoming psychedelic guitarist from the west African nation of Niger. He says he was inspired by the late Eddie Van Halen but his style is more modern psychedelic with some regional Saharan musical flavorings. He is outstanding, and innovative. He's getting some media attention in the rock press. His shows are filling up the clubs. His lyrics are often in his language Tuareg, but his CD lyric sheets are translated into English for our benefit. His lyrical themes are generally about life in the western Sahara, the struggles that the Tuareg and other ethnic groups face in the region and his Islamic faith. He is a 'third world' musician that Peter Gabriel seemed to have overlooked.