Bombino is a young Tuareg musician we might not have been giving the attention he deserves. 'Azel' is already Bombino's third album to date and was recorded at the Applehead Studio in Woodstock, New York. The title of the album can be interpreted in three different ways. Azel is the name of a village near Agadez in Niger and the location of what, for the time being, is the only Tuareg school in the entire country. In Tamasheq "azel" also means the roots or stem of a plant and finally it's also slang, meaning something like: "this is my jam!". Bombino likes to describe his style as "tuareggae"; a mix of desert blues with reggae influences. With the small army of Tuareg bands touring the world, it may surprise, but in opener 'Akhar Zaman' Bombino talks about the slow demise of Tuareg culture: "The morality, dignity and generosity of our parents have been replaced by materialism. Our ancestral language and alphabet are threatening to disappear and our dearest practices are losing their place.", and in 'Iyat Ninhay' he gives the listener a few tips on how to survive in the desert: "If you travel through this land without water, there are only three things that will save you: to climb down through the dunes, to follow tracks or to know how to find your way by looking at the stars.". The desert continues to captivate us!