The desert blues sounds of Mdou Moctar and his band were felt deep in the oasis of music known as the Columbus Theatre in Providence Thursday, February 24.

An enthused crowd packed the downstairs theater to hear the “Hendrix of the Sahara,” as Moctar, a native of Niger in North Africa is known. The band brings traditional music of the Tuareg people of Northwest Africa, with a modern, plugged-in feel.

WUN photographer Rick Farrell was there and shares some great images of the band and opener, Emily Robb, below.

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Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years. He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to...