Playing for change logo
  • Videos
  • Musicians
  • Band
  • Music
  • About
  • Shop
  • Blog
Português
Become a Member

Back to All Musicians

Robert Randolph

Ibrahim Ag Alhabib

Tessalit, Mali

Biography

Ibrahim Ag Alhabib is  a singer, songwriter and guitarist who founded the Grammy Award winning Tuareg blues band Tinariwen. As a child growing up in exile in Algerian refugee camps after fleeing war-torn Mali, Ibrahim did not have access to instruments and made his first guitar out of a tin can, a stick, and bicycle brake wire. “When we had to leave for Algeria, the Malian army gave to each family a water jerrican (jug) for the journey. Some of us used it as a percussion, some of us built guitars out of them. It was a good early training, and I got my style of playing from this,” Ibrahim told The Beijinger’s Kyle Mullin.

Ibrahim formed Tinariwen with other musicians he met while in guerrilla training camps in Libya where they began writing songs about their situation. They began recording their music on cassette tapes which found their way thousands of miles across the Sahara dessert and became rebel music with a cause for the Tuareg people. Since the end of the 90s the band has been performing all over the world, bringing a unique sound to the audience and representing the culture of the Tuareg people. Over the years, Tinariwen has shared the stage with artists such as Carlos Santana, Robert Plant or Herbie Hancock.

How we met:
Our first encounter with Ibrahim and Tinariwen was during the Glastonburry festival, in 2009. The Omagh Community Youth Choir and Tinariwen were both joining the PFC Band as special guests, and we were waiting for Tinariwen so we could rehearse their song Imidiwan Afrik Tendam. Tinariwen’s members showed up in beautiful traditional blue outfits, with turbans covering their faces and their guitars on the shoulder. Despite the continuous English rain that was falling, we were all transported to the Saharan desert.

Hometown

Follow Ibrahim Ag Alhabib

PFC Videos Featuring Ibrahim Ag Alhabib
Higher Ground 2020 | Song Around The World

Mar 12, 2021

Blues of the River | Documentary

Feb 19, 2019

Le Chant des Fauves | Tinariwen | Live Outside

Aug 17, 2018

Higher Ground | Song Around The World

Jan 18, 2017

Groove In G | Song Around The World

Apr 21, 2011

Imidiwan Afrik Tendam | Playing For Change Band Live

Nov 29, 2010

Ibrahim Ag Alhabib Videos
Discover Musicians
  • Tinariwen

    location_onTessalit, Mali
  • Andrés Calamaro

    location_onBuenos Aires, Argentina
  • Mermans Mosengo

    location_onKinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Explore Videos
Ripple | Songs Around The World

Jul 15, 2015

El Carretero | Giovanni Hidalgo & Friends | Live Outside

Nov 12, 2021

Celebrating 10 Years of Positive Change Through Music

Sep 01, 2017

Recently From Our Blog
Protected: PFC BAND Live in Brazil

Posted on June 16, 2014


There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Continue reading
Want to see behind the scenes of PFC?
Become a Member
    • About
    • Contact
    • Team
    • Events
    • PFC Foundation
    • Blog
  • Become a Member
Playing for Change

Copyright © 2025 Playing for Change | Terms | Privacy