'The Touareg and the Wodaabe nomadic tribes aren't known for their tolerance of each other, their history being marked by competition and conflict. So something of an entente cordiale was achieved when, at the Festival In The Desert in 2004, a Touareg outfit and a Wodaabe group took their places alongside each other onstage. The audience reaction was such that both bands instantly threw in their lot to create a desert supergroup - Etran Finatawa (or Stars Of The Tradition). Three albums in, their sound clearly distinguishes them from other desert bluesmen. The Touareg members might brandish Fender Stratocasters with all the rebel cool of their compatriots Tinariwen but, thanks to the Wodaabe input, the Etran Finatawa sound is more percussive and acoustic than that of their hugely celebrated peers' - Nige Tassell/WOMAD

• World Music
• Roots