Al Bilali Soudan

The group “Al Bilali Soudan” hails from Timbuktu, northern Mali and belongs to an extended family of artisans and blacksmiths, who have been griots and in-demand musicians for generations. Led by Abellou Yattara, the band is one of the leading representatives of the typical Tamasheq style of music called tashigalt. This music consists of continuous interplay between the three-string tehardent and the rhythm of percussion on the gourd. The group's name is derived from Bilal ibn Rabah, born in Mecca in 580. Bilal, a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad, was a former slave known for the voice he used to call people to prayer. Muhammad chose Bilal as the first Mu'azzin. Bilal's story is the most cited example of the Islamic institution of judging people not by their nationality, social status or race, but by their piety. One of Bilal's descendants is said to have migrated to West Africa. The region in West Africa south of the Sahara, was centuries ago called Soudan, land of black people, by the Arabs. The group's name is thus a tribute to their Muslim background, their slave origin and the historical designation of the West African desert.

Abellou Yattara, tehardent, vocals
Mohamed Abellaw, vocals, tehardent, dance
Aboubacrine Yattara, bass tehardent, vocals
Ibrahim Ag Aboubacrine, gourd