Obituary: Koudede

*lead photo © Alice Mutasa

Tuareg legend guitarist and songwriter, Koudede, sadly passed away in  a tragic car crash on his way home to his family in Niamey, Niger. His music was the link between the first and third wave of the Tuareg guitar alongside musicians Tinariwen, Abdalah Oumbadougou, Tamikrest and Bombino. Koudede was of the most important songwriters in the Tuareg territories from Algeria to the north-west of Burkino Faso through to Mali and Niger. 

The Tuareg guitar is symbolic of the struggle between the nomadic people who depend on the resources of their territories and the nation states interested in the resources of the terrritories. Koudede wasa pillar of Tuareg music and culture, and used the power of music, songs and words to defend communities during political instability. 

His work will endure forever and our thoughts are with his family, his mother and children.