'AMAN IMAN' - Water is Life - Tinariwen

"This is SENSATIONAL! The album of 2007 and we haven't even finished 2006 yet. There are plenty of bands who know how to rock, but very few who know how to roll. Tinariwen are the masters of roll'n'roll." so said BBC Radio's Andy Kershaw.

"...a mesmeric evocation of the mood of yearning gained through years of exile, all nourished by the vast emptiness of the desert...an album that deserves to hoist Tinariwen onto the international stage occupied by high-profile world music acts such as the Buena Vista Social Club and Ali Farka Toure."Andy Gill, The Independent, 5/5 Stars.

Amazon.co.uk Review
Prior to the release of Aman Iman: Water is Life, it seemed that few people had heard of Tinariwen. Formed in a refugee camp in the southern Sahara desert, this Touareg band have released two previous albums since 2001, garnering awards and critical acclaim around the world. But 2007's Aman Iman: Water is Life is probably their best album yet. It's certainly the most accessible, particularly to music fans who would never dream of delving into world music. The circular rhythms of the bass and drums lay down a simple--almost hypnotic--beat, which is then given a rougher edge by the electric riffs of the band's four lead guitarists. It sounds like an even more primal, stripped down blues taken back to its roots (assuming, that is, that the roots of blues were sung in French and Tamashek). Throughout, producer Justin Adams (taking a break from his regular work as Robert Plant's guitarist in Strange Sensation) commendably avoids the high-gloss polish that too often plagues world music albums. This is rebel music in the true sense of the term. With Aman Iman: Water is Life, Tinariwen have created a rock album that's unique, vibrant and wholly original. Few Western bands can boast the same.

If you've not yet started to get into World music this is a great place to start. If you get the chance to see them live as we did recently in Leicester, don't hesitate - you'll not be able to resist the urge to get up and dance to the desert groove

http://www.tinariwen.com/

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Just read an excellent book - I've included a customer review from Amazon that summarises the story:

Amir grows up in a male-dominated kind of Eden in his wealthy father's beautiful home in Kabul. His doting father loves to give him presents. There are two servants Ali and his son, Hassan, who make life pleasant. Amir and Hassan also enjoy a close friendship whose foundation is Hassan's tremendous loyalty. But there are cracks in Eden. Amir knows that his father doesn't really approve of him: Amir is a coward while his Baba is as brave as a lion.

Amir's mother died in childbirth so there's little nurturing except from Baba's friend and business partner, Rahim Khan. Ali's wife and Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers a week after Hassan was born. Both boys shared a wet nurse which helped make them feel closer. Ali and Hassan are Shi'a Muslims and ethnic Hazaras, two qualities that make them be viewed as worthy of only being servants by the powerful Pashtuns.

To further emphasize their differences, Ali is crippled and Hassan has a hare lip. Amir loves books, but uses his learning to humble Hassan. But Amir thinks things are going well when his father hints that he thinks Amir can win the annual kite fighting festival, something his father did as a boy. Perhaps if Amir can win, his father will approve of him. With the talented help of Hassan, the greatest kite runner (helpful in getting kites into the sky and running down those that have but cut off from their string), Amir has high hopes. The day goes well until the very end when Hassan finds himself in trouble: Amir turns his back on his friend out of cowardice. Branded by that shameful memory, the close bond between the boys is broken.

The book then takes Amir and his father to the United States to escape the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Amir adjusts to the new country better than Baba who wants to keep to the old ways. Many years later, the tranquility of Amir's life is unexpectedly shaken when a dying Rahim Khan calls on Amir to visit him in Pakistan. What Rahim Khan has to say will forever change Amir's life. In that message comes an opportunity to atone and gain redemption.

This story is very powerful. You'll find yourself filled with strong emotions as you imagine what it is like to be Amir, Hassan, Baba, and Ali. While the story is based on modern Afghanistan, the lessons are much more universal than that.

The plot is beautifully woven in ways that will surprise and delight you. It's hard to imagine how a first-time novelist could have been so deft. It's clear that Mr. Hosseini has staggering amounts of talent. Read The Kite Runner anyway. You'll be glad you did.