Last month, Mdou Moctar announced their new album Funeral for Justice (May 3rd on Matador) and shared their title track video. There’s a strong conviction and urgency propelling their new music forward, which doesn’t shy away from socio-political messages or highlighting the plight of Niger and of the Tuareg people. There’s a tangible sense of urgency, presented with a high-adrenalin, fast-paced, heavier sound that their new single and video, ‘Imouhar,’ also captures, with the more reserved start serving only to contrast the burst of energy we are landed with one minute in.
The song, the Tuareg title being the equivalent to “brother” or “comrade”, carries a flame of resistance, alongside a hope that the Tuareg people will act to preserve their Tamasheq language.
“People here are just using French,” says Mdou. “They’re starting to forget their own language. We feel like in a hundred years no one will speak good Tamasheq, and that’s so scary for us.”
Watch the video, directed by Lauren Greenhall below:
The band is confirmed for the Park Stage at Glastonbury, will headline Electric Brixton on July 3rd, and play the End Of The Road festival. See the full dates below.
MDOU MOCTAR LIVE DATES
April 14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
April 21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
June 5 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Anchor Rock Club
June 6 – Harrisburg, PA @ The Abbey Bar at ABC
June 7 – Richmond, VA @ Cheers Brown’s Island
June 8 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
June 9 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
June 11 – Charleston, SC @ Pour House
June 12 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
June 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
June 14 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 15 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
June 18 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
June 19 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Bag
June 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
June 21 – Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall
June 22 – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Music Festival
June 23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
June 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
June 27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
June 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
June 30 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
July 3 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
July 7 – Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole
August 19 – Berlin, DE @ Festaal Kreuzberg
August 20 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Kreuzberg
August 21 – Munich, DE @ Ampere
August 22 – Milan, IT @ Magnolia Summer Stage
August 25 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
August 26 – Antwerp, BE @ OLT Revierenhof
August 27 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
August 30 – Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
August 31 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Psych Fest
September 1 – Birmingham, UK @ Moseley Folk Festival
September 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Saint Luke’s
September 3 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
September 4 – Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club
Pre-Order Funeral for Justice – 3rd May on Matador Records: https://mdoumoctar.ffm.to/funeralforjustice