Tal National

Hailing from Niamey, the capital city of Niger, West Africa, the large ensemble band Tal National was formed in 2000 by charismatic ringleader and West African guitar master Hamadal Issoufou Moumine, also known as Almeida. Backed by anywhere from five to 12 musicians and singers, Almeida grew Tal National to be hugely popular on a local level through constant regional touring and ceaselessly energetic performances, happening as many as five nights a week and going for as long as five hours per show. ~ Fred Thomas