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Music and poetry often cross paths with war. For the Tuaregs, poetry has long been a symbolic expression of the pain and suffering of war, just as their sword dances are a choreographic representations of real battles. With camel culture close to extinction and the Malian peace accords of 1992 providing only token relief from years of conflict, the songs of Tinariwen mourn the passing of the golden age of the Saharan tribes, while endeavoring to map out a future for the generations who must survive beyond it and live in the modern world. Before Tinariwen, the idea of a group didn’t even exist in the southern Sahara. There were only impromptu bands who would get together for the usual joyous gatherings in camps or oases. Seeing their potential, Tuareg political figure Iyad Ag Ghali financed the acquisition of guitars and amps for the group, and in turn used some of their songs as propaganda tools during the rebellion of the 1990s. Tinariwen's first CD for World Village, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, was recorded with the help of solar energy in the studios of Radio Tisdas, the Tuareg station of Kidal. Acclaim for the album rocketed the group to the top ranks of African bands and the top 10 lists of some of the world's most respected critics. Even though the music of Tinariwen's new CD, Amassakoul, was recorded in a modern studio, their bewitching rhythms and passionate words lose none of their power. Tinariwen's lyrics all possess that texture of something crucial, essential and honest. They are all the fruit of distress and of a hope greater than the person who expresses it, the hope of an entire community that it might once again discover its true values.

"They've been called a 'desert blues band,' but that's just part of the appeal. They produce slinky, minimalist, rhythmic riffs with the ease of players who have been together for years, and then move off into a whole variety of styles, while keeping the songs rooted in the Sahara. There's a dash of reggae here, an echo of Bo Diddley, a demonstration of Malian toasting and rap, moody flutes, chanting vocals and wild female choral singing — all held together by quietly compelling guitar lines."
- The Guardian

“I’ve never been a gambling man, but if you could find me a bookie who would offer odds on which album will win the fRoots Critics’ Album of the Year for 2004, I’d lay a tenner on Amassakoul, the second album from Tinariwen, the Tuareg group from Mali.”
- Charlie Gillett – BBC London Live (UK)

“Their first album, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, set the benchmark for Saharan blues. This is a benchmark for African music.”
– Mojo