“They brought Orange stacks to a Tiny Desk”: Mdou Moctar delivers scorching solos at the NPR offices – and even ditches his Strat for an Acoustasonic

Mdou Moctar has been busy of late touring his most recent album, Funeral For Justice, and one of his latest stops was an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. While many artists go acoustic for their Tiny Desk setup, Moctar's session was unapologetically electric.

The Tuareg guitarist wields his trusty American Professional Series left-handed white Strat and leads the session with effortless charisma.

Accompanied by his bandmates – Ahmoudou Madassane on rhythm guitar, bassist and producer Mikey Coltun, and drummer-turned-kick-and-djembe combo player Souleymane Ibrahim – he delivers a mesmerizing set with scorching solos that showcase some of the album's standout tracks, namely Imouhar, Funeral for Justice, and Takoba. For the latter, Moctar swaps the classic Strat he’s now associated with for a left-handed American Acoustasonic Telecaster.

Mdou Moctar: Tiny Desk Concert - YouTube

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In terms of amps, the session is best encapsulated by a fan's comment, “They brought Orange stacks to a Tiny Desk, the absolute mad lads!” Moctar uses an Orange Rockerverb 50 MKIII head, coupled with a 2×12 Orange cabinet.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Moctar explained why the Strat is his workhorse guitar. “I still like the Stratocaster. First of all, I really like the sound it produces and the dimensions fit perfectly with my body – and it doesn’t hurt me. So that’s what I’m looking for in a guitar.”

Mdou Moctar – The Agadez Folders: Live at Sultan’s Palace - YouTube

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However, despite his preference for Strats, he did assert that a guitarist's tone can only be developed through hard work. “I do think it helps a player progress if they like the sound they’re producing. But, to me, the most important thing is how hard you work. You have to just keep practicing, over and over, and push past your limits to really produce good music, just like in other fields,” he insists.

“You could be given the best instruments in the world, but if you don’t know how to play well, it’s not going to sound good. However, if you’ve worked a lot and then you start to get some good instruments, it’ll really be something. But it comes down to work.”

Last month, Moctar released a live session at the King’s Palace in Agadez, Niger, where he and his band were joined by traditional dancers, swordsmen, and upwards of 20 camels.