Kel Assouf

Kel Assouf means both “those with nostalgia” and “sons of eternity” in the Tuareg language Tamasheq. The group came together around the Niger-born Tuareg musician, Anana Harouna, exiled in Brussels in 2006. From the beginning, Kel Assouf built its identity around two central ideas, the promotion of Touareg culture and the struggle against discrimination.

With one foot in the desert and the other in Europe, Anana Harouna sings about Sahara, Niger and Brussels. The melodies and rhythms are directly inspired by Berber music. His short sentences, laid on scales and rhythms from traditional "kel tamasheq" style, evoke life in the desert and call for peace in the world.

With a new minimalist power trio, including Alan Van Rompuy on the keybouadr and Olivier Penu on drums, Anana Harouna's revolt against injustices is made explicit by the saturated voice of his guitar. The African trance rhythms melted into the energy of vintage rock move us to a dancefloor somewhere between London and Niamey - a powerful groove machine !

As a brilliant result of their new sound the band performed as an official showcase at WOMEX 2018 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) and released their third album on Glitterbeat Records on February 2019. The band is preparing the next album for 2021!