Abdoulaye & Ahmoudou

Abdoulaye & Ahmoudou

Akaline

Purplish Records

Brothers Abdoulaye and Ahmoudou Madassane are integral artists in the Agadez, Niger underground scene. They are the go-to rhythm guitarists for the local wedding bands and the first accompanists Tuareg superstar guitarists call when they come to town from Algeria, Mali, Libya or other parts of Niger. Abdoulaye and Ahmoudou are ambassadors to the community, gathering guitars, strings, cables, amps, tuners, and other hard to find necessaries to give out to others. They teach guitar to the younger generation, hoping to keep their beloved Tuareg tradition alive. Ahmoudou is a songwriter, guitarist, visual artist, and actor. He is a long time member of Mdou Moctar and was key to the woman fronted Tuareg guitar band Les Filles De Illighadad coming together, lead guitarist and singer Fatou Seidi Ghali is Ahmoudou’s cousin. Additionally, he co-wrote, acted in, and composed the score to Zerzura, the first Tuareg acid spaghetti western, spoken entirely in Tamasheq, and shot in Agadez. He runs the most popular backline company in Agadez, supplying equipment to weddings and employing young Tuaregs. Abdoulaye, the oldest of five, is a songwriter, guitarist, and composer. He wrote all the songs on Abdoulaye and Ahmoudou’s first album Akaline. Abdoulaye recently joined Les Filles De Illighadad as a full-time member playing guitar and co-writing songs.