- Text by D'Arcy Doran
Tuareg Rebel Rockers — We meet exiled Tuareg rock band, Terakaft, at a recent show in London.
Terakaft are a rock band in exile.
Al Qaida-backed Islamists seized control of their Tuareg homeland in northern Mali in early 2012. The new regime imposed a strict version of Sharia law and declared music forbidden — making it impossible for Terakaft to return to their home.
The French army intervened in the crisis in January driving back the Islamists. Now terrorists have fled, but the nomadic band plays on – fighting for their culture and freedom through music.