Aguilas and Cobras (Eagles & Cobras) features their trademark "hardcore latin funk" coupled with generous amounts of psychedelic experimentation and anchored by driving latin percussion and lots of electric guitar interplay. This crew of musicians has deftly avoided the "retro" and "revival" tags with pride, never falling into generic cookie-cutter funk mold. Aguilas and Cobras continues to carry the afro-latin funk torch into the future by creating fresh grooves which are timeless, honest and filled with their own unique vibe.
Cucu Diamantes is a Grammy nominated Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist. Her 2009 solo debut Cuculand received a Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Alternative Song, "Mas Fuerte." Diamantes is also cofounder and lead singer of Grammy nominated New York City fusion band Yerba Buena.
The young men and women are from Kidal in Mali and visited the school in Tinzaouweten. Their childhood and youth is shaped by the Tuareg riots that evolved into a civil war between 1990 and 1995. Many of their friends and family were killed during that time.
Tamikrest decided to play with guitars instead of Kalashnikows. Their goal was to improve their lives by letting the world know about their desperate situation through their music.
The lyrics deal with the situation of the Tuaregs, about a youth without future, the loss of their culture — but also about love: the love of life and the love for the vast expanse of their home the Sahara.