Niger west-african country, today one of the poorest countries in the world. However rich in culture as the region has always been a cross-road between arab culture from the north and african cultures from the south: There are eleven different ethnic groups living in Niger: farmers as pastoralists. Among them the tuareg people and the wodaabe people, both groups are nomadic groups, herding their cattle, their camels, sheep and goat in wide sahelian savanna.
The band is a formation of tuaregs and wodaabe. The band was formed in january 2004. It is the first group at all with wodaabe people making modern music. Etran Finatawa-literally the stars of tradition- was born as a group of 10 musiciens who want to bring the two rich nomad cultures together, profit one of the other and to create a new music-style: Nomad´s blues. The tour group consists of 6-8 musicians. Wodaabe and Tuaregs share the same regions for living, but their music is very different:
Wodaabe sing in a traditional matter, they put traditional costumes and make up on. They do not use any instruments but sing in a multivocal way while they dance in slow motion. Their dance, their costumes and their rhythm is unique in the world. Tuareg people have always used instruments, violins and drums to animate their songs and dances. Since the seventies the guitar has found its way in tuareg music. This style is called Ichumar and is a part of Etran Finatawa's repertoire. Etran Finatawa combines the two rich cultures: Their songs are in two languages, tuareg language (tamasheck) and Wodaabe language (fulfulde). The band instrumentalizes the polyphonic songs of the wodaabe people by means of traditional percussion like calebashes and tende, a traditional tuareg drum. The rhythm is given by a guitar. The polyphonic choir of wodaabe singers gives a special note to their music. Handclapping and the rich percussion leads the songs, invite to dance. The group has two main singers. Their melodies, their rythms, their voices create a sound picture of the sahelian grasslands, the desert. Their songs talk about nomad's life, isolation and liberty, they talk about happy days, and love and festivities as well as about bad days, droughts, poverty and exode. The repertory of the group contains about 30 songs.

Instruments
1 electric guitar solo
1 electric guitar
1 bass guitar
Tende kind of tambour
1 Azakalabo, a water flooding calebash in water beaten with a leather wrapped wooden stick
1 water flooding calebash beaten with two wooden sticks
1 calebash beaten with the palm of the hands and metal finger rings
3 Akayaure, traditional instrument, smalls kind of metal rings on a metal plate, worn at the legs
Odiliri, traditional flute

Concerts
All the songs are animated on stage by traditional dances. The band performed all over Niger, several times in the French Cultural Center in the capital Niamey. They were invited to 2005 edition of the desert music festival in Timbuktu/Mali and to the festival of desert music in Erfoud/Marocco in Mai 2005. During the summer 2005 they toured in Europe: In Germany, Holland and Switzerland. They participated among other in the 17 th Afrikafestival/Hertme/Holland, the World Music Festival in Oron le Châtel/Switzerland and the Buskers Festivals Bern and Neuchâtel. In September 2005 they were invited to the Moussem of Tan-Tan in Marocco. A new album was recorded with the well known technician and musician Chris Birkett for the World Music Network London. It was released in spring 2006.

TOUR 2006

Germany (f.e.Berlin), Netherlands (f.e.Dunya Festival, Roots Festival), Italy (f.e.Pennabilli Artisti) Switzerland (f.e.Fete de la Musique geneve), UK (f.e. London Gala, WOMAD Reading), Ireland (World Cultures Festival Dublin)

Recordings

"Introducing Etran Finatawa" INTRO105CD, produced by World Music Network London summer 2005 released spring 2006
"Tissiway Fidjo", produced by Etran Finatawa Niger 2005
"Tegedemât", live- concert June 2004 French Cultural Center Niamey-Niger,cassette audio
"Isserien", Ghalitane Khamidoune and his band Etran N´guefan 2003 Niamey, cassette audio produced by Ghalitane Khamidoune

Press comments about Etran Finatawa

"Electric guitars and traditional instrument sent wine like old friends as rustic call-and-response vocals stir up the desert heat. Comparisons aside, this debut is dynamite." (Global Rhythm, Sep.2006)

"Introducing Etran Finatawa is a musical experience full of life in a desert environment that is seemingly lifeless." (Inside World Music)

"Electric guitars and traditional instruments entwine like old friends as rustic call-and –response vocals stir up the desert heat. Comparisions aside, this debut is dynamite." (Global Rhythm (New York) – September 06)

"Just listen to the guitar solos on A Dunya and you'll be instantly seduced by the beauty of this music which has its roots in the West African country of Niger. Marvel at Iledeman and in the driving 12-bar structure you can hear the real roots of American blues." (Sydney Morning Herald – August 2006)