Mdou Moctar with Invisible Boy and Douala Soul Collective

The Cedar and KFAI – 90.3 FM Minneapolis – 106.7 FM St. Paul present
MDOU MOCTAR with Invisible Boy and Douala Soul Collective
Saturday Apr 6, 2019 / Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
All Ages
$15 Advance / $18 Day of Show

Mdou Moctar
In the crowded scene of Tuareg guitarists, Mdou Moctar stands apart from his peers. Playing in the repertoire of desert guitar popularized by groups like Tinariwen and Bombino, Mdou is pushing the boundaries of the genre with a unique personal sound. With versatile compositions and genre defying albums, Mdou’s music has been an underground success with an international following, set on redefining the sound of the desert.

Mdou Moctar hails from a small village in the Azawagh desert of Niger, a remote region steeped in religious tradition. As a child, he taught himself to play homemade guitars, cobbled together out of planks of wood. It was years later before he found a “real” guitar, teaching himself in secret. In an area where guitar music was all but prohibited, he quickly rose to the status of local celebrity amongst the village youth.

In 2008 he traveled to Nigeria to record his first album “Anar.” A psychedelic reworking of the Tuareg sound, the electronic tracks featured innovative pitch bending synths, drum machines, and autotune. In 2010, he teamed up with the label and collective Sahel Sounds, releasing his first international album, “Afelan.” In 2015, he co-wrote and starred in the first ever Tuareg language film, “Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red In It,” a Saharan remake of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” In 2017, he again shifted gears to another sound with “Sousoume Tamachek,” a mellow blissed out recording evoking the calm desert soundscape, tackling religion, spirituality, and matters of the heart.

In the past years, Tuareg rock music has gotten faster. There is a preference for this new style, both in the raucous weddings of Agadez and in Berlin rock clubs. The wavering guitar solos, rapid fire drums and heavy distortion has become characteristic of the contemporary sound. Mdou takes on this challenge, but with an ear towards tradition. Rooted in traditional, with borrowed polyrhythms of traditional « takamba » and lyrics sung in the style of old nomadic poets, his guitar playing is wild and unrelenting, equal parts nomadic bard and Eddie Van Halen. Mdou Moctar and his band have toured Europe and North America, playing sold out shows from small DIY rock clubs in Portland to New York City’s Lincoln Center. His music has been featured in the BBC, The Guardian, Pitchfork, New Yorker, L.A. Weekly, NPR, Rolling Stone, Les Inrocks, and his film continues to be screened at film festivals around the world. From underground star of Niger to international film star, Mdou Moctar has undoubtedly one of the quickest rises to success.

Invisible Boy (Chris Bierden of Polica)
Invisible Boy is a project fronted by Chris Bierden, bassist for Poliça and vital contributor to many Minneapolis-based projects. Bierden has been performing solo shows under the moniker Invisible Boy for the last 10 years. The name is taken from the title of a song by Vampire Hands, a beloved psych/punk band in which Bierden was a founding member.

For this show the band will perform as a 4-piece, employing seasoned veterans of the Minneapolis music scene with Drew Christopherson (Poliça) on drums, Jeremy Ylvisacker (Alpha Consumer) on guitar, and Adam Wozniak (Dark Dark Dark) on bass. They’ve been cooking up new music together over the past year. The grooves are chill and dreamy, accented with psychedelic swirls, and imbued with a sense of love, loss, and longing.

Douala Soul Collective
Douala Soul Collective is comprised of Jaques Elate Joss and Dumont, influenced by the lifestyles of people in the city of Douala. They’re travelers who share their ethnic roots and international vibes around street food and music. Na waiti? Na Sekele Party!

Their eclectic vinyl collection is a great fit for any funky loose good time. Dance, listen or smile to their music! Much love!