As their name suggests, these artists come from Illighadad, a village located in the Sahara, in west Niger. The group is composed of three young women, Fatou Seidi Ghali, Alamnou Akrouni and Mariama Salah, who are accompanied by Fatou’s cousin, guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane, who is also playing with the much-loved Mdou Moctar<\/a>. The group became popular after being discovered by Christopher Kirkley on behalf of Sahel Sounds<\/a>, who expressed surprise that Fatou was holding a guitar in her hand \u2013 something usually reserved for men. In 2016, the women left their country for the first time, on tour in Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Les Filles de Illighadad wields a symbiosis of blues, folk and traditional music styles like takamba, a musical genre named after the one-stringed lute. They are also inspired by the tend\u00e9, an art of poetry and a drum mainly played by women. Their songs aim to provide support during the trials of daily life, whether concerning love, the status of women, war, and life in Illighadad in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n