Photo: Abdoul Moumouni
Off the 405: Etran de L’Aïr
GETTY CENTER
Museum Courtyard
This is a past event
6:00 p.m.: DJ set by Discostan
7:30 p.m.: Performance
Although free reservations for entry are required, if there is capacity the day of a sold out event, visitor services will allow walk-ups. We suggest arriving early to explore the gardens and galleries before the performance.
Etran de L’Aïr (or “stars of the Aïr region”) welcomes you to Agadez, Niger—capital city of Saharan rock. Beloved for their dynamic repertoire of hypnotic solos and sun-glazed melodies, the band embraces a pan-African style that is emblematic of their hometown, citing a myriad of cultural influences, from Northern Malian blues and Hausa bar bands to Congolese soukous. Composed of brothers and cousins, Etran de L’Aïr are the sons of Tuareg nomadic families that settled in Agadez, where guitar bands are an integral part of the social fabric, playing at weddings, baptisms, and political rallies, as well as the occasional concert. Playing for over 25 years, Etran de L’Aïr first emerged as favorites of Agadez's local wedding circuit; their music is rooted in celebration, invoking the exuberance of a vibrant intergenerational party.
Called out for their "heady, spontaneous grooves," Etran de L’Aïr was listed in the number 1 slot for "Best Music of 2020" by The New Yorker.
Watch "Toubouk Ine Chihoussay" by Etran de L'Aïr.