( CNN ) -- For Omara Moctar , the electrifying Tuareg guitarist better known as `` Bombino , '' there is no better place to play music than the majestic starkness of the desert . `` There 's the heat , there 's the wind , but after all of that , you find yourself at night in the most beautiful place , '' says Bombino , who is part of a new generation of Tuareg musicians performing `` desert rock '' on a global stage . `` The stars seem to be right there , next to you ... and the night feels good -- sometimes with the light of the moon and the changing dune colors , it 's unbelievable , really . '' Inspired by the changing landscape of the Niger desert , Bombino 's haunting jams capture life in the desert and the spirit of his people . His almost mystic sound evokes the searing heat , the blustery wind and the shimmering horizon of the Sahel , combining music of the ages with riffs of Western blues and rock . Read more : Street musicians unite world through songs . Following in the footsteps of fellow Tuareg musicians -- and now international stars -- Tinariwen , Bombino 's debut album has attracted critical acclaim from around the world . Called `` Agadez '' -- named after the largest town in northern Niger -- Bombino 's album honors Tuareg culture , the hardships of youth and love . `` With music we can have dialogue , '' says Bombino , who lists Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure and Jimi Hendrix as major influences on him . `` We can talk openly and explain ourselves without using violence , which is n't necessary . '' The Tuareg are nomadic tribesmen in the Sahara and Sahel regions . Along with fighting the harsh climate of the endless desert , they have also been battling for their independence in the last 20 years , staging rebellions against the governments in Niger and Mali . Born in 1980 , Bombino spent his childhood on the move as one rebellion followed another . He first picked up a guitar at the age of 12 while in exile in Algeria , where he had fled with members of his family after the first Tuareg rebellion in Mali and Niger . When democracy dawned in Niger , Bombino returned home . `` I went back to Agadez and at the time in Agadez to have access to instruments or a place to play , we needed to be part of a political party , '' he remembers . `` It was then they named me 'Bombino . '' Read more : Ladysmith Black Mambazo : How we inspired Mandela . He spent the following years honing his craft as a working musician , performing at weddings and political rallies . But Bombino was forced to leave Niger once again in 2007 after two of his band members were killed in another uprising . He and thousands of others fled seeking refuge in Mali , Algeria and Burkina Faso . It was in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , where he was tracked by Ron Wyman , the American documentary maker of `` Agadez : The Music and the Rebellion . '' `` Ron was in Agadez in 2007 , '' says Bombino . `` When he left for Iferouane , he got my cassette and he had it in his stereo during his entire trip in the desert . '' Bombino 's imaginative guitar playing and hypnotizing grooves entranced Wyman who embarked on a year-long mission to find the Tuareg musician . `` Ron came to Ouagadougou first and he told me about his documentary . Then , we made the album , '' says Bombino . Read also : Meet Asa , African pop legend in the making . The guitarist and songwriter recorded part of his debut offering at Wyman 's house in the United States . Then they both went back to Agadez to complete the album that has won scores of fans of across the world and made Bombino an influential voice back home . Today Bombino is using his growing status to bring peace and celebration in troubled Niger . `` Everyone has had enough and does not want to return to the same situation , '' says Bombino . `` A musician in Tuareg society is a person who is always well-received , '' he notes . `` I 'm in contact with the Niger government to make a small tour happen to calm and soothe the youth , and it 's important to see this peace that we bring . ''
Omara ` ` Bombino '' ' is part of a new generation of African musicians . The guitarist from Senegal combines music of the ages with riffs of Western metal and rock . His haunting songs reflect life in the desert and the suffering of his people .