The nomadic Tuareg people originate from the vast expanse of the Sahara. As a people, they suffer from many land ownership and resettlement issues but the reason I found out about them was due to an introduction to what is now another of my beloved bands, Group Inerane. Since then I have discovered numerous other Tuareg groups such as Toumast, Tinariwen and Tamikrest. However, Group Inerane remains my favourite so here is a video of them in action.
When it came to the release of a second album, under the Sublime Frequencies record label, the lineup had changed due to a death in the band. I was saddened to hear this but their album 'Guitars from Agadez Vol. 1' is definitely still an album I won't forget. Due to some happy coincidence, I managed to visit a Tuareg exhibition during my stay with a good friend at her home in Croydon during the summer. I was taken to the Horniman Museum and it definitely ranks very highly in my list of favoured museums. In the temporary Tuareg exhibit, they kept examples of traditional dress, jewellery and other frequently used items. Below is a photo I took that day.
I've found that the Tuareg people have directly influenced high fashion with their traditional dress. In fact, Giorgio Armani has been inspired to base his 'La Femme Bleue' 2011 Spring/Summer collection on the 'Blue Men of the Sahara', as the Tuareg are also known. On the left is an image of Tuareg band Toumast and on the right, a photo from the Giorgio Armani collection for comparison. “There’s a grace about the desert veil that seems right for today and this collection” as said by Giorgio Armani himself.
2nd Photo by K.L.V.
