Mover And Shaker

"It feels really wonderful to get the album out into the world and to hear the positive reactions,” Moctar says. “We've been waiting quite a long time for this. I am really proud and really happy.”

There's no doubt that the fact that this was one of the records recently produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach has helped him reach a whole new audience. But Bombino wasn't exactly pinching himself when the invitation came through.“I did not know who Dan was until he invited us to Nashville. But my manager played me his music and I could tell immediately that we would make very nice music together. He and me are like cousins in music.

“Working with Dan was the first time I recorded in a real studio, so it was a really big experience for me. He had all this amazing equipment and he was a genius at using it all. So you can imagine what it was like for me, a guy from the Sahara desert who has never seen the inside of a studio, to go to Nashville and record in this world-class way.”

It was never his intention to become a world-renowned artist, but he's not complaining. “I had no idea and not even an ambition to be known outside of my region. But I wanted to be known in the region. And of course, like with everything in life, once you have something you are asking what more you can have.”

Moctar has risked terrifying oppression and persecution just by being a musician in his homeland. “There were a few times in my life where I had to hide myself because I was a musician,” he says. “The musicians are threatening to people who wish to hold power because music has a strong influence over people. So it's better sometimes to stay out of sight if you wield this power.”

He hopes for peace, not just in west Africa, but around the world. “Yes, of course. I am praying every day that the peace we have in Niger lasts for many years to come, and I am praying for peace in Mali and freedom for all people of the world. We cannot feel free ourselves until everyone feels free.”

Thanks to acts like Malian blues outfit Tinariwen, the plight of the Tuareg people is becoming more acknowledged; the nomadic Saharan people are telling their stories through music and Bombino wants that tradition to continue. “I hope [people] are able to feel at peace and feel free when they listen to my music. I want to make people feel the joy of being alive. But I also want people to become inspired to learn more about the Tuareg people and the troubles that we face. And not just the Tuareg, I hope my music helps to open people's minds to the everyday struggles of people all over the world who are not like them.”