Sunday, 9 August 2026

Tuareg desert blues in Niger was traced from traditional instruments to electric guitar, with Tinariwen, Bombino, Madu Moktar and Les Filles de Illighadad named as key voices in the genre's evolution.

Legend of the week was Lindiwe Wenguna Khoppa, who turned down rejections into R27 million funding for Lindiwe Sanitary Pads, built a 4,000-square-metre factory and now produces about 800 pads a minute.

Niger's scale was underlined: the country was described as the largest in West Africa, with most of its territory sparsely populated because the Sahara covers much of it and people cluster in the south.

A travel guide singled out Niamey, Agadez, W National Park, Zinder and the Air Mountains as standout stops, highlighting the Grand Mosque, caravan-route history, wildlife, rock art and desert oases.

Spot the Soundtrack was solved at the end: the song was 'Ya Habiti' by Nigerian Tuareg artist Mdou Moctar, featured as the theme in HBO mini-series 'Irma Vep'.