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“I would need to show you exactly how to tune your guitar. Even at home, some people have trouble. Young guitarists tell me that regularly”: Mdou Moctar has ignored all of guitar’s standards – and become one of the world’s finest players in the process

How tuning by ear, recording live, and finding power in the message made Funeral For Justice Mdou Moctar's most radical album yet – an album lit up by one of guitar's most exciting new voices

Guitar World · Jul 4, 2024

“When I was very young I didn’t have access to Western music. In 2016, I was first introduced to Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix”: Mdou Moctar is one of Africa’s premier guitar heroes – and he’s using his Stratocaster to spark a revolution

As the Niger guitarist releases a bristling new collection of protest songs, he explains how injustice puts the fire in his fingers, what keeps him loyal to the Strat, and why everybody in his hometown wants to play guitar

Guitar World · May 28, 2024

“He doesn’t like the sound of new strings. The ones on the guitar for the new album were two years old”: Mdou Moctar prefers old guitar strings – and the Roland Cube is his favorite amp for a very good reason

The gear (or lack of) behind Mdou Moctar's searing signature sound on Funeral For Justice, which fuses Saharan rock music with Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen flair

Guitar World · May 10, 2024