A Tuareg singer/songwriter and guitarist known for his innovative and intense playing style, Mdou Moctar rose from a small village in Niger to earn viral success among West Africa's cell phone-trading network. An appearance on an American compilation in 2010 led to international recognition and further exploratory releases with much wider distribution. After starring in a Tuareg-language homage to Purple Rain, Moctar's sound continued to evolve as he pushed his musical boundaries as a multi-instrumentalist on 2017's Sousoume Tamachek. Subsequent albums like Ilana: The Creator (2019) and Afrique Victime (2021) found him infusing his African influences with wild electric psychedelia and full-blast rock & roll.