Last winter, bassist Mikey Coltun travelled to Niamey, Niger to join his bandmates – Mdou Moctar, Ahmoudou Madassane, and Souleymane Ibrahim – and to prepare for the release of the group’s Matador Records debut, Afrique Victime. To date, that trip has yielded a documentary, a Tiny Desk (Home) concert, and a live stream. Unbelievably, there’s still more to see. Today, you can set eyes on Mdou Moctar: Live at the Niger River. Filmed at dawn beside a campfire and a pot of Tuareg tea, the video captures stripped-down generator-powered performances of the songs “Tala Tannam,” “Bissmilahi Atagh,” “Ya Habibti,” and “Chismiten.” Moctar was last seen wowing audiences on the band’s nearly sold out fall US tour. Early next year, they will hit the road once again performing dates throughout North America and in Europe… and one day we hope – Aotearoa/New Zealand.
