And what of the current climate now? To what extent has access to Western music changed in the wake of the rebellion? And how has, for example, the advent of rap and other modern music's, affected the group, both personally and professionally in terms of its fan-base? "After the rebellion, the accessibility wasn't that much greater. The rural desert, away from the towns, is still very remote. I'm personally not a big fan of rap music. But Said, our percussionist loves it, and I know that it's very popular among the youth of Kidal. I think they (the youth) respect Tinariwen enormously, as being the elder brothers who invented a new music style. There are many, many groups like Tinariwen now, all over the desert. But maybe now Tinariwen isn't the most popular group with the youth anymore. It's a different generation, and things have to move on.

"Tinariwen has never been a traditional group. From the first notes we played, we knew we weren't playing traditional music, and we also knew that we didn't want to pay that music, because it wasn't able to express what we were experiencing at the time. That's why we had to invent a new style of music, the guitar style. At the time, the older people weren't too happy with what we were doing. But we didn't care. We were young, and that's what we wanted. But now the traditional music is still a very strong force for us. I don't think there's a single member of Tinariwen who would deny that ultimately, their favourite music style is Touareg traditional. And we're thinking of incorporating more traditional styles on our next album. We'll see."

Ibrahim's makes the assertion that just like in Western culture, time waits for no one, even in the sweltering deserts of the Sahara. And, just as music trends change with successive generations in European and American cultures, so too does the youth of Tinariwen's homeland crave new music and sounds. The incorporation of more traditional styles on future releases could be viewed as a typically rebellious stance. In spite of their new found status on the international stage, they refuse to lose sight of what it is that originally drove the group to do what they do in spite of political demands and open threats on the group. The sudden approval of their music and exposure to Western music culture cannot and will not dilute them. With the rebellion over, it is now that they are beginning to see the fruits of the considerable labour in their homeland, even if, as according to Ibrahim, the same political problems remain.

"Now there are plenty of guitar bands in the desert, and some rappers too. That really is a direct result of what we did three decades ago. And traditional music is still strong. I think all the Touareg will always have an important place in their heart for the traditional music. It ties them to that way of life that they all dream of...the camp out in the bush, peaceful and prosperous. But that doesn't mean that they won't be experimenting with new styles and sounds.

"As a musician, you have to do this, because the music you play should always be an honest reflection of who you are and the life you're living. A Touareg living in Paris won't loose his love of traditional music, but he will also be listening to all the music going on around him, and blending those styles with what he always knows. The political landscape has been the same really since the mid 1980s. The problems are still there. The politics has influenced the music, and continues to do so.

"My dream, and part of our achievement, is to let people know that the desert is a beautiful place, full of nature, quiet and peace. There are very few dangers there. There's so much propaganda in the papers, on the internet, about the Touareg and their supposed warlike strength. But in reality there's none of that...only nomads who own a few goats and camels, and nature. That's all. If we can convince people about that, then I'll be happy."

And what of success? It comes as no surprise to hear Ibrahim shun its various trappings. "Success has been a surprise, of course. You dream about it, but you don't dare to plan on it actually happening. But then I also think that there's no reason Tinariwen shouldn't be successful. I know that our language is incomprehensible to most westerners, but then so was English and French to us when we were young, and listening to Jimi Hendrix and Santana. So it can work both ways, I'm sure of that. Life as a professional is tiring, that's for sure, and it's very difficult for us to spend so long away from home. But I've always wanted it, and now I just need to enjoy it. However, to write music, to be inspired, I really need to be back in the desert. So it's important for us to have long periods at home, in order to create."

It seems you can take the music out of the desert, but you can't take the rebellion out of these musicians.

Tinariwen play the Opera House on Monday, July 21.

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