Bombino performs in The Current studios
by Mark Wheat
June 13, 2013
When Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys invites you to his Nashville studio Easy Eye Sound, you know you've got talent. The Grammy Award winner met with Niger-native Omar Moctar to speak the language of rock and roll, eventually producing Moctar's third studio album, which landed at #1 on the Billboard World Music chart in its debut week.
Performing as Bombino, Moctar is influenced by Tuareg guitarist Haja Bebe, who gave him the stage name meaning "little child" in Italian. Nomad, his third release, is sung in his tribe's language, but it is the guitar that communicates Moctar's message. He's been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana, but collaborating with Auerbach surely influenced Nomad's sound.
Bombino stopped by The Current studios to chat with Mark Wheat and play a few songs before their performance with supporting local act Crimes at The Cedar. Nomad is out now on Nonesuch Records, the same label that put out 4 of the last 7 Black Keys records.
