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Apr 30, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Ebru Yildiz

Nigerien quartet Mdou Moctar are releasing a new album, Funeral for Justice, this Friday via Matador. Now they have shared its third single, “Oh France.” A press release says the song is “a fiery indictment of French colonialism.” Listen below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Previously the band shared the album’s title track, via a music video. Then they shared its second single, “Imouhar,” via a music video. It was one of our Songs of the Week.

Funeral for Justice follows the band’s 2021 album, Afrique Victime.

The band belong to the Tuareg people and Mdou Moctar shares its name with its lead singer and guitarist.

In a previous press release, Moctar said the new album is inspired by the troubling political climate in Niger. “This album is really different for me. Now the problems of terrorist violence are more serious in Africa. When the U.S. and Europe came here, they said they’re going to help us, but what we see is really different. They never help us to find a solution.”

Producer and bassist Mikey Coltun said: “Mdou Moctar has been a strong anti-colonial band ever since I’ve been a part of it. France came in, fucked up the country, then said ‘you’re free.’ And they’re not.”

Speaking of the band’s progression, Coltun added: “Ilana was the gateway album, saying that this is a raw rock band. And Afrique Victime was a summation of that vision. With Funeral for Justice, I really wanted this to shine with the political message because of everything that’s going on. As the band got tighter and heavier live, it made sense to capture this urgency and this aggression—it wasn’t a forced thing, it was very natural.”

Read our interview with Mdou Moctar on Afrique Victime.

Mdou Moctar Tour Dates:

June 5 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Anchor Rock Club *
June 6 - Harrisburg, PA @ The Abbey Bar at ABC *
June 7 - Richmond, VA @ Cheers Brown’s Island
June 8 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom ^
June 9 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel ^
June 11 - Charleston, SC @ Pour House ^
June 12 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^
June 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ^
June 14 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 15 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi #
June 18 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall +
June 19 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Bag +
June 20 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom +
June 21 - Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall +
June 22 - Greenfield, MA @ Green River Music Festival
June 23 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club +
June 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw +
June 27 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club +
June 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer +
June 30 - Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
July 3 - London, UK @ Electric Brixton
July 4 - Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
July 7 - Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole
August 16 - Paredes De Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival
August 19 - Berlin, DE @ Festaal Kreuzberg
August 20 - Leipzig, DE @ UT Kreuzberg
August 21 - Munich, DE @ Ampere
August 22 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Summer Stage
August 25 - Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
August 26 - Antwerp, BE @ OLT Revierenhof
August 27 - Koln, DE @ Gebaude 9
August 28 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
August 30 - Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
August 31 - Manchester, UK @ Manchester Psych Fest
September 1 - Birmingham, UK @ Moseley Folk Festival
September 2 - Glasgow, UK @ Saint Luke’s
September 3 - Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
September 4 - Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club

* w/ Bodega
^ w/ Bat Fangs
# w/ Lia Kohl
+ w/ J.R.C.G.

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