Mdou Moctar, who has spent the majority of this year on tour, recently announced Niger EP Vol. 2, which follows the first part of the series. Today they’ve unveiled the lead single “Ibitilan” as a compelling preview.
“’Ibitlan’ is a love song,” said producer and bassist Mikey Coltun. “Mdou sings about his love for a woman, comparing her to a beautiful valley with a stream running through it, how her skin is a yellow flower and her smile is like lightning. This particular recording was done in Agadez in 2017 at a wedding. Mdou and I had played three weddings a day for about a month and a half on that trip. It was like bootcamp. I loved it. ‘Ibitlan’ is one of Mdou’s oldest songs and is covered by pretty much every Tuareg guitarist.”
Last year, Mdou Moctar released a deluxe version of their 2020 album Afrique Victime. Coltun said about it, “These are a mix of demos from Niger and some live tracks from touring around the world, when we were still working out the songs together as a band. These are fun and different early versions of the songs.”
Listen to “Ibitlan” above. Check out the EP artwork and tracklist below.
1. “Iblis Amghar”
2. “Ibitilan”
3. “Nakane Dish”
4. “Chimoumounim”
5. “Asdikte Akal”
6. “Azawad”
Niger EP Vol. 2 arrives 10/25.