Pickathon 2012: Bombino

Photo Credit: Rob Hedberg

One of the best performances of the weekend happened late Sunday afternoon when Bombino, from Tidene, Niger took the stage. Their sound is usually labeled as world music, but there is no doubt that blues, trance, and psychedelic music all play a role in forming their incredibly unique sound.  The announcer informed the audience that, “Bombino records music for the revolution,” referring to the uprising that happened in Niger in 2007, also known as the Tuareg rebellion. All the members of Bombino were wearing traditional Tuareg clothes that appeared very expensive and made out of a very fine fabric.  It only took two songs for the whole crowd to get to their feet and groove with these fine musicians. The language barrier between Bombino and the crowd was there, but was overcame by phenomenal intricate guitar fingering and lavish song structures that blew the mind of the audience. The unique choice of bringing Bombino to Pickathon paid off dearly, and proves why Pickathon attendee’s keep coming back each year.

Photo Credit: Robert Hedberg