Dancing to Tinariwen in 2016 and 2023

When I first saw Tinariwen in Basel on 17 November 2016, they performed without their bassist, Eyadou Ag Leche, who was in the hospital. Despite his absence, I was still able to dance cathartically throughout the concert. It helped that the Kaserne was crowded, but not packed. Tinariwen's concert at the Mühle Hunziken in Rubingen last night was packed – at least on the floor, where my son Miles and I were first standing. After a few songs, we headed upstairs, where we couldn't see the band (except on screens), but there was more room to dance. So dance we did! My phone counted almost 6000 steps between 8 and 10 pm. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 13 June 2023)