Imidiwan: Companions

Imidiwan: Companions
Studio album by Tinariwen
Released	June 29, 2009
Genre	Tishoumaren blues folk world
Label	Independiente
Tinariwen chronology
Aman Iman (2007) Imidiwan: Companions (2009) Tassili (2011)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Clash	8/10 [3]
Cokemachineglow	79% [4]
Entertainment Weekly	A [5]
The Guardian	[6]
musicOMH	[7]
Pitchfork	7.6/10 [8]
PopMatters	8/10 [9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Spin	[11]

Imidiwan: Companions, released 29 June 2009, is the fourth studio album by Tuareg band Tinariwen. The album saw the band reunite with Jean-Paul Romann, the producer of their 2001 album The Radio Tisdas Sessions . ^[12] Some editions of the album include a DVD featuring a 30-minute documentary about the band. ^[2]

Themes

Joe Tangari of Pitchfork discussed how the band experienced much of the world outside the desert and how it has influenced the new direction of this album. ^[13] He said "lyrically the songs, sung in Tamashek, visit themes of liberation and cultural-historical pride". ^[13] Later he stated that it contains assuf "an untranslatable word with implications of homesickness, loneliness, and sadness; it also refers to the nighttime world beyond the light of the campfire." ^[13]

Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews. The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Tinariwen just keep on keepin' on, relentless and brilliant as the Saharan sun." ^[6] The Daily Telegraph also gave the album 4 stars, saying that the band are "...the nearest thing the modern world provides to a real blues feel." ^[14]

Imidiwan also won the 2009 Uncut Music Award for being "the most inspiring and richly rewarding album of the last 12 months". ^[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Imidiwan Afrik Tendam"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	3:32
2.	"Lulla"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	3:49
3.	"Tenhert"	Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni	5:28
4.	"Enseqi Ehad Didagh"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	5:40
5.	"Tahult In"	Alhassane Ag Touhami	4:10
6.	"Tamudjeras Assis"	Mohammed Ag Itlale ("Japonais")	4:51
7.	"Intitlayaghen"	Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni	4:49
8.	"Imazaghen N Adagh"	Abdallah Ag Lamida ("Intidao")	3:46
9.	"Tenalle Chegret"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	5:43
10.	"Kel Tamashek"	Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni	3:16
11.	"Assuf Ag Assuf"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	4:54
12.	"Chabiba"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	3:21
13.	"Ere Tasfata Adounia"	Alhassane Ag Touhami	4:53
14.	"Desert Wind"	Ibrahim Ag Alhabib	4:19

Note: "Desert Wind," an instrumental, was included as a bonus track in some editions of the album.

Personnel

All information from album liner notes. ^[16]

• Ibrahim Ag Alhabib – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 12), backing vocals (track 10), other instruments (track 14)
• Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 3, 7, 10)
• Alhassane Ag Touhami – lead vocals and lead guitar (tracks 5, 13), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 12)
• Mohammed Ag Itlale ("Japonais") – lead vocals and lead guitar (track 6), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4)
• Abdallah Ag Lamida ("Intidao") – lead vocals and lead guitar (track 8), guitar (tracks 1, 3, 12), backing vocals (tracks 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13)
• Eyadou Ag Leche – bass (all tracks except 10, 11, 14), guitar (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 13), backing vocals (tracks 5, 6, 8, 9, 13), percussion (tracks 3, 6, 7, 8, 13)
• Elaga Ag Hamid – guitar (all tracks except 7, 10, 14), backing vocals (tracks 1, 13), percussion (track 5)
• Said Ag Ayad – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13)
• Liya Ag Ablil ("Diara") – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 13)
• Sanou Ag Ahmed – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 12), guitar (tracks 8, 12), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8)
• Fatma – percussion (track 1), backing vocals (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
• Mohammed – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13), backing vocals (track 12)
• Matthieu Rousseau – percussion (all tracks except 8, 10, 14)
• Tende of Tessalit – percussion (track 10)
• Wounou Walet Sidati – backing vocals (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
• Dayasso – backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 12)
• Aroun – backing vocals (tracks 1, 9)
• Baka – backing vocals (track 2)
• Moustapha – backing vocals (track 2)
• Abdallah – backing vocals (track 2)
• Ousman, Al Hassan, Fatimata – children's vocals (track 1)

References

1. "Reviews for Imidiwan: Companions by Tinariwen". Metacritic . Retrieved May 8, 2025.
2. Imidiwan: Companions at AllMusic
3. "Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions". Clash . 26 June 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
4. Elliott, Joel (September 30, 2009). "Tinariwen - Imidiwan: Companions". Cokemachineglow . Retrieved May 8, 2025.
5. Their lyrics reveal the mysteries of true rolling stones. [16 Oct 2009, p.59]
6. Thomson, Graeme (2009-06-14). "World music review: Tinariwen, Imidiwan". The Guardian. London.
7. Hogwood, Ben (29 June 2009). "Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions". musicOMH . Retrieved 9 May 2025.
8. Pitchfork review
9. PopMatters review
10. Hermes, Will (November 9, 2009). "Tinariwen - Imidiwan: Companions". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 8, 2025.
11. "SPIN Magazine review".
12. "Music - Review of Tinariwen - Imidiwan: Companions". BBC. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
13. Tangari, Joe. "Pitchfork Overview". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 21, 2016.
14. Hudson, Mark (2009-06-25). "Tinariwen: Imidiwan Companions, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London.
15. "Saharan musicians win Uncut award". BBC News. 2009-11-09.
16. Tinariwen (2009). Liner notes: Imidiwan: Companions.