Raised by a deeply religious northern Nigerian family where music was forbidden, Mdou Moctar's first guitar was fashioned from some plank wood. For strings, he used brake wires taken from an old bicycle. He practiced the instrument in secret.

As the years went on, he started to make a name for himself by playing weddings. He is now noted as one of the first musicians to perform modern electronic adaptations of Tuareg guitar music. His new album, Ilana (The Creator) is his first record to feature a full band recorded in an actual studio.

What are you listening to tonight?