BOMBINO

Born in 1980 in the Tuareg nomadic camp of Tidene, on the outskirts of Agadez, Niger, Bombino (Goumour Almoctar, also known as Oumara Moctar) grew up during a period of great political upheaval. In 1990, he fled with his family to Algeria, where he taught himself to play guitar by watching videos of his idols Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, Ali Farka Touré, and Tinariwen. Seven years later, he returned to Agadez, the largest city in northern Niger, where he began his professional music career. After years of honing his skills in his native country and a period spent as a shepherd in Libya, he left Africa for the first time in 2006, traveling to California as a lead soloist on tour with Tidawt. It was there that he recorded a desert blues version of the Rolling Stones classic ‘Hey Negrita’, alongside Keith Richards and Charlie Watts. The following year, filmmaker Hisham Mayet captured Bombino and his electric band for the recording of the album ‘Music from Niger: Guitars from Agadez, Vol. 2’, released in 2009 by Sublime Frequencies, Bombino's first official album release.

When the political climate in Niger intensified again in 2007 and two of his friends and bandmates were accused of being “Tuareg rebels” and presumably killed by the government, Bombino took refuge in Burkina Faso. In 2009, he met another filmmaker, Ron Wyman, who wanted to help him record a studio album under suitable conditions.

Released in 2011, ‘Agadez’ highlighted Bombino's captivating voice, his hypnotic and impressive guitar style, with evocative rhythms. The album was named by NPR as one of the best revelations of the year.

For his second album, ‘Nomad’ (2013), Bombino traveled to Nashville to record with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The result was a remarkable set of tracks, full of raw energy and funky elegance, which definitively established Bombino as a worldwide star and one of the best guitarists of today. Subsequently, he moved to upstate New York to record his third album, ‘Azel’, with his band and producer David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors. It was on ‘Azel’ that Bombino introduced the world to a new genre that he himself called “Tuareggae”, a fusion of Tuareg guitar with reggae rhythms.

The album ‘Deran’ was recorded in Casablanca, Morocco, in the fall of 2017, with only his band and his longtime manager, Eric Herman, who took on the production. The album received rave reviews worldwide, including a full-page feature in the New York Times, which dubbed Bombino "The Sultan of Shred." On December 7, 2018, 'Deran' was nominated for a Grammy (Best World Music Album), marking the first ever nomination for an artist from Niger. Thousands of proud Nigeriens participated in a parade to welcome Bombino back to Niamey after the Grammy ceremony.

The album 'Live In Amsterdam' was recorded during a concert in November 2019 and released in November 2020 (Partisan Records). Bombino dedicated this album to his dear friend and bandmate Illias Mohamed, who tragically passed away a few weeks before its release. The Amsterdam concert that gave rise to the album was one of Illias's last performances with the band.

In September 2023, Bombino released his latest album, 'Sahel'. The album calls for unity in the Sahel region and presents a diverse range of interpretations, from acoustic ballads to intense electric guitar pieces. Regardless of the challenges life throws his way, Bombino remains firmly committed to his mission of using music to promote love, understanding, and the beauty of Tuareg culture around the world.

Bombino returns to Lisbon, in his own name, accompanied by his emblematic guitar! Secure your ticket!

Doors open at 8:30 pm and the concert starts at 9:30 pm.

The price on the day of the concert increases to 28 euros