Born in 1980 in the Tuareg encampment of Tidene, near Agadez in Niger, Bombino (Goumour Almoctar) grew up amid political unrest, fleeing with his family to Algeria in 1990. Self-taught on guitar and inspired by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits and Ali Farka Touré, he returned to Agadez seven years later and began his professional music career. As conflict escalated in 2007, he went into exile in Burkina Faso, where filmmaker Ron Wyman helped him record Agadez (2011), a breakthrough album praised internationally. His follow-up Nomad (2013), produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, cemented his global reputation, while Azel introduced his “Tuareggae” sound blending desert blues with reggae influences. Deran (2018) earned worldwide acclaim and a historic Grammy nomination — the first ever for an artist from Niger. His later release, Live In Amsterdam (2020), captures the power of his performances and pays tribute to his late bandmate Illias Mohamed. Through it all, Bombino continues his mission: sharing the spirit and beauty of Tuareg culture with audiences worldwide.