Deep in the Saharan desert in the country of Niger lies Agadez, a city that is known for its mysterious desert rock music. After many years playing weddings and other gigs throughout Agadez, Etran De L’Aïr has caught fire internationally and now spends much of their time bringing their Saharan rock to increasingly larger audiences worldwide. While much of the stateside knowledge of desert rock centers around regional acts like Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar, and, of course, the legendary godfather of it all, Ali Farka Touré and his legacy-bearing son Vieux Farka Touré, there is perhaps no act as exhilarating onstage as Etran De L’Aïr. This was proven yet again when the band made their way through Portland, Oregon on Saturday, April 12th for a show at the Wonder Ballroom.
Taking the stage in their signature Tuareg robes, the four members of Etran De L’Aïr immediately launched into their celebratory sounds. Across roughly ninety minutes, the group flowed through a propulsive guitar-driven performance that showcased the magic of their particular style of Saharan rock. Though Moussa “Abindi” Ibra is technically the leader, it was clear that Etran De L’Aïr is less focused on showing off individual guitar prowess (although there is plenty of that) than on locking into a unified sound. Ibra’s playing often felt like it was spiraling out of control yet he always pulled it back into the groove, showing both his adventurous style as well as his restraint and loyalty to the groove. Abdourahamane “Allamine” Ibrahim’s rhythm guitar provided a fascinating counterpart, at times taking on a tone that resembled a brass band and added to the music’s hypnotic, galloping force. Alghabid Ghabdouan’s drumming propelled everything forward as he added loads of color to his playing in the form of big fills.
Etran De L’Aïr has released three albums since 2018, but they have been playing as a band for around thirty years. Even though they touched on their recordings during their set, this wasn’t the type of performance where the audience was waiting to hear specific tunes. Instead, songs flowed together like one big fireball of energy that pulls the listener into its orbit as it gains momentum. The band members seemed to be feeding off the crowd as they ramped up the power with bombastic, marching drums and chugging guitar that was both rocking and mysterious in the seemingly endless passages it chased. The sum of this was a set of music that rarely relented, punctuated by euphoria-inducing bursts of interaction between the musicians and commanding vocals that served to complement the instrumental flow.
Is Etran De L’Aïr the best desert rock outfit in the game these days? It’s hard to say when there are so many impressive acts out there, but the answer is quite possibly yes. Their performance in Portland provided evidence of this, never losing momentum and swirling to a close before the band drifted quietly into the night. The group may not be as well-known as some of their contemporaries at this point, yet the large turnout in the roughly 800-capacity venue signaled that word is spreading. For good reason, as Etran De L’Aïr is not to be missed.
Japanese trio Maya Ongaku opened the show.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
