Mdou Moctar – or the Hendrix of the Sahara as he is sometimes called – constructed his first instrument out of scrap wood and bicycle parts. His musical talent has endured family disapproval, religious backlash and a sparse upbringing in the desert. “To my parents, becoming a musician would mean I was a delinquent, a terrible person drinking beer and taking drugs. I never told them I wanted to play the guitar, I didn’t dare. So I made one.” He is one of the most innovative champions of Saharan music, bringing the rich sound of desert strings to the masses
Drummer Lotan Yaish (El Khat, Şatellites) reimagines traditional Yemeni rhythms through a solo drum set performance. His style is defined by shifting, layered patterns and a signature laid-back feel. Integrating a hybrid "junk" kit of plates, pots, and tin cans, he honors the Yemeni tradition of found-object percussion to create a raw, metallic soundscape. It is a performance where rhythm is the protagonist, moving seamlessly between hypnotic repetition and avant-garde exploration.
