Born in the West African nation of Niger, Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar came to wide international attention for his starring role in a 2015 Tamashek-language remake of Prince’s Purple Rain set in the Sahara. Building on the legacy of Tuareg “desert blues” bands like Tinariwen, Moctar alternates between melancholic acoustic ballads and galloping electric odysseys as he sings about life and struggle in the desert. A potent innovator, he delivers furious solos full of distortion—and his 2019 anthem “Tarhatazed” even features some Eddie Van Halen-style finger tapping. Yet his plaintive lyrics keep him connected to tradition and home.