Ahmed Ag Kaedy’s desert blues and protest songs forced him into exile from his home in 2012. Since then, he has become an inspiration for an entire generation of artists using music to speak for freedom and peace. Experience the magnificent Malian guitar virtuoso and singer as he performs his stripped-down, moving guitar compositions with deep roots in Tuareg folk music, reminiscent of the silence of the desert.

The Malian Tuareg guitarist and singer Ahmed Ag Kaedy is a unique musician, not only serving as the band leader of the trio Amanar de Kidal with several albums released on the acclaimed Sahel Sounds label but also performing and releasing music under his own name. Compared to the more amplified versions of traditional desert blues often heard, Ag Kaedy’s compositions are raw, stripped-down, and eerily moving, with deep roots in Tuareg folk music. His powerful solo performances strongly evoke the barren, dusty silence and freedom of the desert.

Ahmed Ag Kaedy’s story is harsh, and his connection to the music is undeniable. He was a child soldier during Mali’s almost constant civil war but found his way into music. Ag Kaedy exchanged his rifle for a guitar and returned to his hometown, Kidal, in the desert region of northern Mali, where he also formed Amanar de Kidal. However, like many other Tuareg musicians, he has been unable to return home since an alliance of Islamist extremists took control of the area in 2012. They looted Ag Kaedy’s home, burned his instruments, and threatened to cut his fingers if he dared to play again. Ag Kaedy fled to the capital Bamako in Mali’s lush south and has become an inspiration for an entire generation of artists using music to advocate for peace and freedom.

Over the years, Ahmed Ag Kaedy has toured extensively in Africa, Europe, and America and has recently completed Amanar de Kidal’s third album. He has collaborated with European musicians such as the German afro funkers Onom Ageno, whom he has previously performed with at ALICE, as well as the Finnish psych surfers The Shubie Brothers and the Australian percussionist Will Guthrie. When Ahmed Ag Kaedy performs at ALICE, it is with a powerful solo performance.

ALICE at Stairway
While the concert hall at Nørre Allé 7 is undergoing renovation, ALICE is located at the music venue Stairway in Vanløse.