Nomad

At the invitation of The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, the Niger-born artist Omara "Bombino" Moctar and his band traveled to Nashville for the recording of Nomad, helmed by Auerbach at his studio, Easy Eye Sound.

Born and raised in Niger, in and around the northern city of Agadez, Bombino is a member of the Tuareg Ifoghas tribe, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa. The Tuareg people have fought the Niger government to secure their rights on numerous occasions, causing Bombino and his family to flee several times. During one such exile, relatives visiting from the front lines of the rebellion left behind a guitar and Bombino began teaching himself to play it. He eventually studied with the renowned Tuareg guitarist Haja Bebe, who asked him to join his band, where he acquired the nickname Bombino-a variation on the Italian word for "little child."