Mdou Moctar – or the Hendrix of the Sahara as he is sometimes called – constructed his first instrument out of scrap wood and bicycle parts. His musical talent has endured family disapproval, religious backlash and a sparse upbringing in the desert. “To my parents, becoming a musician would mean I was a delinquent, a terrible person drinking beer and taking drugs. I never told them I wanted to play the guitar, I didn’t dare. So I made one.” He is one of the most innovative champions of Saharan music, bringing the rich sound of desert strings to the masses.
