[15] In 1980 Libyan ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi put out a decree inviting all young Tuareg men who were living illegally in Libya to receive full military training.

Gaddafi dreamed of forming a Saharan regiment, made up of young Tuareg fighters, to further his territorial ambitions in Chad, Niger, and elsewhere in the region.

After a peace agreement known as the Tamanrasset Accords was reached in January 1991, the musicians left the rebel movement and devoted themselves to music full-time.

[6] Their 2004 album Amassakoul ("The Traveller" in Tamashek)[28] and their 2007 album Aman Iman ("Water Is Life")[29] were released worldwide and gained the notice of celebrity fans including Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Bono, the Edge, Thom Yorke, Chris Martin, Henry Rollins, Brian Eno, and members of TV on the Radio.

[32][33] In 2010, Tinariwen represented Algeria in the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,[34] and completed a lengthy American tour.

Another party in the rebellion, the militant Islamist group Ansar Dine, denounced the presence of popular music in the territory,[43] and Tinariwen was targeted specifically during this campaign.

[44] During this period, Tinariwen had scheduled a tour of Australia and New Zealand, but Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Elaga Al Hamid were not able to get out of Mali due to the conflict.

[26] In a January 2013 confrontation with Ansar Dine militants, who had denounced Tinariwen and their music, Abdallah Ag Lamida was abducted while trying to save his guitars.

[47] During Ag Lamida's captivity, several other members of Tinariwen fled from the conflict and resettled temporarily in the southwestern United States to record their sixth album, Emmaar, with guests including Josh Klinghoffer, Fats Kaplin, Matt Sweeney, and Saul Williams.

Tinariwen then embarked on a tour of Europe and North America, but without group leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, who decided to remain in Mali to attend to family issues caused by the latest political crisis.

[53] After the international tour, Tinariwen were unable to return to their home area in northern Mali due to ongoing sectarian violence and threats from Islamist militants.

[54] The group instead decamped in Morocco and embarked on a multi-month journey through Western Sahara and Mauritania, collaborating with local musicians at several stops along the way and writing songs while camped out in the desert.

[56] Amadjar featured guest appearances by Noura Mint Seymali, Micah Nelson, Cass McCombs, Stephen O'Malley, and Warren Ellis.

[69] Tinariwen was also influenced by traditional Malian musicians, most notably Ali Farka Touré,[70] and regional pop singers like Rabah Driassa.

[9][71] Tinariwen was also influenced by American and British rock acts whose bootlegged albums had made it to the Sahara region, such as Dire Straits,[72] Santana,[73] Led Zeppelin,[74] Bob Dylan,[75] and Jimi Hendrix.

[66] The band Imarhan is led by Sadam Iyad Moussa Ben Abderamane, who has collaborated with Tinariwen and is the nephew of bassist Eyadu ag Leche.

[66] Kel Assouf[66] and Tamikrest[76] have gained notice as younger Tuareg rock bands that cite Tinariwen as a fundamental influence.