Tartit

Tartit
Origin	Tombouctou Region, Mali
Years active	1992-present
Labels	Crammed Discs
Associated acts	Imharhan
Past members	Mohammed Issa

Tartit (meaning "union") are a band from the Tombouctou Region of Mali. The group consists of five women and four men, all of whom are Tamasheq-speaking Tuareg. They formed in 1992 in a refugee camp in Mauritania.Imharhan, an expanded group that includes current and former Tartit members, incorporates electric instruments and cross-cultural experiments into their music.

In 1995, Tartit performed their debut concert at the MASA Trade Fair for African Arts in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. In the same year they were invited to the Festival of Women's Voices in Liege, Belgium. Tartit toured Europe in 1998 and then in 2000 toured North America. At the WOMAD Festival in Seattle, after performing their own set, the group joined fellow Malians Ali Farka Touré and Afel Bocoum on stage. In 2003 they appeared at the Festival in the Desert, where they again played with Touré and Bocoum, and also joined Tinariwen, Robert Plant, Oumou Sangaré, Lo'Jo and Baba Salah. Tartit has collaborated with other musicians, such as Susan McKeown (on her album Sweet Liberty), and their songs have been included on compilations such as, Rèves d'Oasis: Desert Blues.

Tartit released their first album, Amazagh, in 1997. They became better-known with the release of their second album, Ichchila, recorded in 2000. In 2006, the group released their third album, Abacabok.

To contribute actively to the development of their region, the band also formed a United Nations-recognized association dedicated to preserving and raising awareness of Malian music and culture. The association, likewise, develops schools for children and economic opportunities for women.

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