The Saharan legend confirms its dominance as Tinariwen takes the throne with their milestone tenth album, “Hoggar.” A captivating fusion of desert blues and political messages has made them the clear winner of the May TWMC album chart.
The May edition of the Transglobal World Music Chart is crowned by the Saharan icons Tinariwen. Their latest release, Hoggar, features eleven tracks brimming with nostalgia, layered melodies, and the warm harmony of collective voices. The album is particularly groundbreaking due to the historic reunion of leaders Ibrahim and Abdallah, who sing together for the first time in over 30 years, breaking their long-standing tradition of performing only their own individual compositions. The record also features a special guest appearance by the acclaimed José González. Lyrically, the album addresses the urgent social and political challenges facing the Tuareg people in northern Mali. Tinariwen thus reaffirms their role as musical witnesses, finding a perfect balance between the raw energy of their celebrated live performances and deep reflections on community struggle, resilience, and cultural preservation.
The most successful albums of May 2026:
- Tinariwen · Hoggar · Wedge / Warp [19]
- Souad Massi · Zagate · BackingTrack Production [1]
- Neba Solo & Benego Diakité · A Djinn and a Hunter Went Walking · Nonesuch [2]
- Lucas Santtana · Brasiliano · Nø Førmat! [9]
- BCUC · The Road Is Never Easy · Outhere [13]
- Stelios Petrakis · Lyric / Lyrikon · Buda Musique [7]
- Nuevos Ríos · Nuevos Ríos · ZZK [20]
- Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino · Il Mito · Ponderosa Music [3]
- Daughters of Donbas · Songs of Stolen Children · Daughters of Donbas [22]
- Constantinople: Kiya Tabassian, Ablaye Cissoko, Patrick Graham · Estuaire · Ma Case [5]
- Altın Gün · Garip · Glitterbeat [4]
- Antoine Dougbé et l‘Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou · Antoine Dougbé et l‘Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou · Analog Africa [18]
- Cheikh Ibra Fam · Adouna · Cumbancha [-]
- Saly Kouyaté · Mali Kelen · Remote / Studio Mali [11]
- DakhaBrakha · Ptakh · DakhaBrakha [38]
- Raül Refree & Maria Mazzotta · San Paolo di Galatina · Galileo Music Communication [6]
- Kuljit Bhamra · Desi: The Soul of Punjab · ARC Music [-]
- Kairos Collective · Mulciber · TouMilou [25]
- Shubiao Quartet · Ayalal · Shubiao Quartet [-]
- V.A. · Léve Léve: São Tomé & Príncipe Sounds 70s-80s Vol.2 · Bongo Joe [14]
- Vasilis Kostas · Léna · Artsyndesis [-]
- Catrin Finch · Notes to Self · Bendigedig [8]
- Kareyce Fotso · Gwà · Contre-Jour [-]
- Parisa Karimi Molan & Tehrani Drom · Unveiled · Lulaworld [-]
- Suistamon Sähkö · Lunta Tupaan · Playground Music [-]
- Balu · Borumba · Vu Prod [16]
- Mama Sissoko · Diamond Fingers · One World [32]
- Azuka Moweta & His Anioma Brothers Band of Africa · Kenechukwu · Odogwu Entertainment / Palenque [-]
- Doctor Nativo · BarrioKandela · Stonetree [17]
- AySay · Mal · V2 [27]
- Karyna Gomes · Kantigas di Liberdadi · Karyna Gomes [34]
- Bei Bei · Two Moons · Bei Bei Time Productions [15]
- Peter Somuah · Walking Distance · ACT Music [-]
- Mahan Mirarab · Unspoken · ACT Music [-]
- Bobo & Behaja · Aia Haja? · Carton [28]
- Las Hermanas Caronni · El Espacio del Tiempo · Les Grands Fleuves [21]
- Hamraaz · Abar Kuh · AudioMaze [-]
- Monoswezi · Moyo · Parallell [10]
- Constantinople & Holland Baroque · Dialogos: Francis of Assisi Meets Malik al-Kamil · Pentatone [-]
- Tuuletar · Maammo · Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup [12]
NMR (photo: press Tinariwen)
Founder members and administrators Transglobal World Music Chart:
Ángel Romero (US), Araceli Tzigane (ES), Juan Antonio Vázquez (ES)
Current active members:
Kutay Derin Kuğay (TR), Robert Gregor (SK), Yatrika Shah-Rais (IR/US), Armen Manukyan (AM), Rolf Beydemüller (DE), François Bensignor (FR), Eleni Ziliaskopoulou (GR), Marija Vitas (RS), Jaïr Tchong (BE), Enrique Blanc (MX), Tiago Lucas Garcia (BR), Zekeriya S. Şen (TR), Benjamín Muñiz (PR), Daryana Antipova (RU), Mika Kauhanen (FI), Luisa Piñeros (CO), Toni Pennacchia (US), Chen Hanzi (CN), Takuya “Salam” Unagami (JP), Janaína Ávila (BR), Ankur Malhotra (IN), Alexis Herrería (MX), Ula Nowak (PL), Banning Eyre (US), Magda Tejchma (PL), Tatiana Naryshkina (RU), Andrii Polianskyi (UA), Michael Rossi (UK), Nicky Blumenfeld NickyB, Loris Böhm (IT), Ben Wheeler (GE/US), Seth Jordan (AU), Tony Hillier (AU), Charlie Crooijmans (NL), Nigel Wood (IE), Dore Stein (US), Roger Holdsworth (AU), Madan Rao (IN), Gil Medovoy (US), Chris Heim (US), Ciro De Rosa (IT), Scott Stevens (US), Hendrick T S Foh (MY), Cliff Furnald (US), Rob Weisberg (US), Toni Polo (FR/ES), Nicolás Falcoff (AR), Masakazu Kitanaka (JP), Jordi Demésenllà (ES), Rafael Mieses (DO/US), Luís Rei (PT), Jean Trouillet (DE), Evangeline Kim (US), Alejandro López (ES), Jon Kertzer (US), Ken Stowar (CA), Jiří Moravčík (CZ), Mu Qian (CN), Gil Rouvio (IL), Bouna Ndiaye (SN/US)
More at: https://www.transglobalwmc.com/
