Christopher Kirkely's Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai (which roughly translates as "Rain the color of blue with a little red in it") is the first fictional feature to focus on Tuareg culture. The Tuareg are a Berber ethnic group. They are largely Muslim and semi-nomadic, inhabiting the Sahara. A cultural reawakening followed the Tuareg Rebellion that started in 1990. The rebellion sought to construct an autonomous Tuareg nation out of portions of Niger and Mali. This failed, but it raised awareness of Tuareg culture, particularly its musicians.
Tuareg refugees have gone back and forth between Libya, Algeria, Mali and Niger in the last thirty years because of conflict between Tuaregs and Islamic fundamentalists. Congregating Tuaregs' wedding parties have throbbed to the sounds of takamba, both a musical form and a dance to them. Musicians use rock instruments, Akounak's star, Mdou Moctar, favors a Fender guitar, but with a rhythmic sense far different from that which emerged from the American South. This is chiefly due to the land locked nature of Tuareg culture. The coastal lands of West Africa, from which America's slaves were plucked, are more musically allied with Mississippi Delta Blues than they are to takamba which looks East.
Regardless, the buzz surrounding Tuareg music culture led to bands being signed by Western labels, most notably Bombino and Tinariwen; the latter one of the most consistent and accomplished popular music groups of this century. Tinariwen dance like grooves have been likened to the Grateful Dead (as opposed to, say, Deep Purple, I suppose), but whatever pleasant buzz their music generate did not come from hallucinogens but from the heat struck trance of living a nomadic life in the desert. Mdou Moctar, the raison d'etre of this film, brings improvisatory skill and an added psychedelic edge to takamba.
The film's director was also the boss of Moctar's label, Sahel Sounds, at the time. Thus, the film is a promotional vehicle. Kirkely acknowledged lifting the semblance of a plot from Purple Rain and Moctar enters the film astride a purple motorcycle. One can check off the shared plot points: lead and romantic interest taking a cycle ride, father issues, musical numbers, and a climactic battle of the bands. Of course, this would be true of almost any Rock movie since Presley hit; there are even disapproving elders in this one who are tapping their toes in delight at the conclusion. 💚
Kirkely directed, shot, and edited this film and had a hand in the script with Moctar. Thankfully this two man band kept this film to 75 minutes. The dramatic scenes are of meager interest, but the musical scenes rock. Moctar has an electric effect as a performer. Ethnographically, the film is a bright travelogue centered upon Agadez, a city in Niger with over 100,00 inhabitants. Kirkely touches upon the romance of a nomadic existence, but, on the whole, there is very little subtext to the film. Like Purple Rain, Akounak...is negligible as film art, but it succeeds as entertainment due to Mr. Moctar, his guitar, and his muse.
Moctar is on a bigger label now, Matador, but the quality of his music has not diminished. His new album, Afrique Victim, and 2019's final release for Sahel Sounds, Ilana, are heartily recommended.
💚 See Greil Marcus, "Rock Movies" The Rolling Stone History of Rock and Roll, 1976
and
Marshall Crenshaw, Hollywood Rock, 1994
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