At this point, I’m sure everyone reading this site is familiar with Mdou Moctar; our own AcidJack posted a killer recording of him from the 2017 Hopscotch fest. His version of Saharan folk music meets the unbridled shred of VH’s “Eruption” has caught the ears of curious listeners everywhere. I’ve seen them many times, and the shows are always a blast, not just for Mdou’s blazing guitar playing but also for the insanely tight backing band.
This backing band is now having its chance to be the centerpiece. The trio, comprised of Ahmoudou Madassane on Guitar and vocals, Souleymane Ibrahim on Drums, and Mikey Coltun on Bass, is touring as Takaat, and you really need to go see them. Takaat brings the same high-energy microtonal dance party vibe you get when Mdou is fronting, but here, the focus shifts more to the unrelenting groove the trio produces. Ahmoudou’s guitar playing is every bit as mind-boggling as you’d expect, but the center of this thing is the band’s ability to lock in behind his songs. These songs could be 5 minutes or 5 hours, and it would be equally engaging because I don’t think this band is capable of missing a step.
Certain shows are undeniable. It’s impossible to miss the fact that something special is happening. This was one of them. Tubby’s back room was packed elbow to elbow with everyone locked in. I’m fairly sure not one person left the live room for the duration of the set. Everyone stayed put, with the band’s stage spotlights blasting us like the Desert sun. Super fun anecdote – I noticed at least 4 people in the room that were also at BSP (RIP) many years ago when this band first came through town with Mdou.
This was recorded from my usually spot in the back with the MBHOs and an excellent board feed from Tubby’s FOH engineer Wil. The quality is excellent, so crank it up. And if this show isn’t enough, friend of the site Richard Hayes has his recording from Milwaukee up on his excellent blog!
Download and stream from the Live Music Archive!
Takaat
2025-05-08
Tubby’s
Kingston, NY
Source: MBHO440 + SDB > SD MixPre 3 > SD (24/48) > Adobe Audition/Izotope 9 > Audacity Flac (lvl8) > Mp3Tag
Thanks to Tubby’s FOH engineer Will for the board patch!
- Amidinin
- Imajighan Anagrou
- Elwan
- Asuf D Alwa
- Oulhin Ay Rakhin
Takaat is:
Ahmoudou Madassane: Guitar, Vocals
Mikey Coltun: Bass
Souleymane Ibrahim: Drums
Support this excellent artist!
https://purplishrecords.bandcamp.com/album/takaat-is-noise-vol-1
Support the venues bringing you interesting music!
https://www.tubbyskingston.com/music-calendar
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