Emmaar is the critically acclaimed sixth studio album by the renowned Tuareg desert blues band Tinariwen, released on February 10, 2014. Meaning "the heat on the breeze" in Tamasheq, this project marks the first time the Grammy-winning collective recorded an entire full-length album outside of northern Africa.
Forced into exile due to political instability and extremist conflict in their native Mali, the group relocated to the high desert of Joshua Tree, California to write and record these tracks. The resulting 11 tracks deliver a striking blend of traditional West African melodies, hypnotic acoustic rhythms, and electrified urban blues.