Imarhan are a newly arriving desert rock outfit from Southern Algeria's Tamanrasset, the main province of the Algerian Tuareg. The group, whose band name translates to 'the ones I care about,' is formed by Tamanrasset-born childhood friends Iyad Ag Ibrahim aka "Sadam," Tahar Ag Kaddor, Hicham Ag Bouhas, Kada Ag Chanani, Hachim Ag Abdelkader, and Habibalah Ag Azouz.
Imarhan started composing "Tahabort," their debut single, and the rest of the songs on their forthcoming first album (due January of next year) under the tutelage of Tinariwen bassist and Sadam's older cousin Eyadou Ag Leche. Like Tinariwen, their sound blends hypnotic guitars lines based on traditional Tuareg music with blues and rock melodies to create a modern take on the assouf style.
Watch our premiere of Imarhan's video for "Tahabort," shot by the band across Tamanrasset, below and grab the single on iTunes. Catch Imarhan live on their upcoming European live dates with Tinariwen and Songhoy Blues, listed underneath.
Imarhan Live Dates
Jun 09 Reitschule Berne, Switzerland w/ Tinariwen
Jun 10 PTR - L'Usine Geneva, Switzerland w/ Tinariwen
Jun 12 Meadows in the Mountains Smolian, Bulgaria
Jun 22 L'international Paris, France
Jun 24 La Boule Noire Paris, France w/ Songhoy Blues
