Everything about the modern Tuareg band, Imarhan’s show at Lido felt uplifting and genuine- minimal light displays, no witty banter with the audience, just pure, delicious music.
I came into the venue late, wet from the rain, alone and not particularly in the mood for a show. I love Imarhan, but it was just one of those nights.
Thankfully the show also started about 20-30 mins late, there was a good crowd, but the space wasn’t packed, and the room felt intimate and cosy, especially with the warm red tones.
Imarhan came on stage unceremoniously and I decided to stand on one of the plush couches on the side of the room for a better view and to be lazy. I took off my shoes, leaned against the wall and enjoyed the sunny music filling the room.
they kept the vibe upbeat with a few of the livelier numbers from their first and second albums, like the recent single “Azzaman”
Though Imarhan also has several more slow-paced meditational tunes, they kept the vibe upbeat with a few of the livelier numbers from their first and second albums, like the recent single “Azzaman”. Before long, the beat had infiltrated my limbs and I felt a shoulder shimmy coming on.
Cheesy as it is, my mood was lifted after about three songs. They dove into the crowd-pleasing (and me-pleasing) “Tahabort” and by then even the shyest concertgoers at the back were moving to the beat.
“all about the music” and no bullshit
Imarhan concluded every track with “danke schรถn, thank you” and that’s about as much interaction there ever was. They performed a few slower numbers towards the end and were called back for two encores. Even though it could sound like a show of this sort with so little artifice would be boring, it certainly was very far from that, and it was amazing and refreshing to see how “all about the music” and no bullshit the band seemed to be.
They definitely seemed to enjoy what they were doing, smiling throughout the set, and taking solos every now and again. And I went back into the cold Berlin spring feeling a little warmer.
