Arnaud Contreras Photo Journal

Terakaft is one of the best saharan band from the “Ishumar” movement.
Terakaft is a gang of guitarists, in the same vein as Tinariwen. Nothing astonishing about that if you consider that Terakaft was founded by Kedou and Diara, two formative and historical guitarists from Tinariwen.
Moreover Kedou accompanied Tinariwen to the very first Festival with the Desert by Chock-Essako in January 2001, and contributes four songs on their first album The Radio Tisdas Sessions.
At that time Keddou decided to take a different path to Tinariwen, which is now famous in the four corners of the globe. He left to live for two years in Algeria, in Tindouf, Tamanrasset, and then for the same period in Libya, in the desert in the south of the country. Finally, he has returned to settle in Kidal, in Mali, to the great joy of his friends and Tuareg brothers.
Kedou is a celebrity in his own land, both thanks to his part in the history of the rebellion as to his songs. He has teamed up with Diara, one of the original members of Tinariwen, and one of the more “rock’n'roll” guitarists in the group, as well as two young guitarists, Sanou and Rhissa.
It was at the Festival with the Desert of Essakane, in January a 2007, that Terakaft performed their ifirst concert, following it with the Festival of the Camel of Tessalit, before going to Bamako, to record this first album, in four days, at the legendary Bogolan Studios.
Terakaft means “the caravan” in tamashek.

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Saharan Disco by Terakaft

A wall against desertification in Tarfaya – Cap Juby – South Morocco – 2006
Just behind this wall begins the Sahara and the old Aeropostale station where Antoine de Saint Exupery lived during two years and wrote his first book.

© Arnaud Contreras / www.arnaudcontreras.com

Rencontres Sahariennes exhibition at the Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Elx, Spain, with the support of UNESCO, during the International Congress on Oasis and Soustainable Tourism 2007.

© Arnaud Contreras
Exhibition COURRIERS SUD
On Saint Exupery’s path, in Tarfaya, Morocco
by Arnaud Contreras and Tadzio

10/11/2006 -  30/11/2006

Centre André Malraux
10, av. Francis de Pressensé
93350 Le Bourget
Tel: 01 48 38 50 14

Pleine lune au coeur du Sahara algérien. En compagnie du photographe Cornelis van Voorthuizen, nous partons le long de la route pour réaliser des photos et vidéos, calculant nos temps de pause (exposure time) comme nous pouvons.

Envie de tester des choses, de décompresser après une journée “très entourée”.