Traditional Tuareg music has two major components: the moncord violin anzad and a small tambour called tende. Traditional songs called Asak and Tisiway (poems) are sung by women and men during feasts and social occasions. Another popular Tuareg musical genre is takamba, characteristic for its Afro-Berber percussions.
Vocal music
tisiway: poems
tasikisikit: songs performed by women, accompanied by tende, men on camel back turn around
asak: songs accompanied by anzad monocord violin.
tahengemmit: slow songs sung by elder men
Children and youth music
Bellulla songs made by children playing with the lips
Fadangama small monocord instrument for children
Odili flute made from trunk of sorghum
Gidga small wooden instrument with irons sticks to make strident sounds
In the 1980s rebel fighters founded Tinariwen, a Tuareg band that fuses electric guitars and indigenous musical styles. Tinariwen is one of the best known and authentic Tuareg bands. Especially in areas that were cut off during the Tuareg rebellion (e.g., Adrar des Iforas), they were practically the only music available, which made them locally famous and their songs/lyrics (eg Abaraybone, ...) are well known by the locals. They released their first CD in 2000, and toured in Europe and the United States in 2004. The Niger-based band Etran Finatawa combines Tuareg and Wodaabe members, playing a combination of traditional instruments and electric guitars.
Many music groups emerged after the 1980s cultural revival. Among the Tartit, Imaran and known artists are: Abdallah Oumbadougou from Ayr, Baly Othmany of Djanet.
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