It was time for a complete change of pace and atmosphere at the World Music Prom on Thursday evening.

Tinariwen are a Saharan desert blues band, featuring three electric guitarists, a drummer, and two backing vocalists/dancers, who have a strong following in Britain and have just released their sixth album.

They launched into an 80 minute programme of hypnotic stone rock and this style of music, though new to us, we found both relaxing and mesmerising.

The drummer, mostly playing the traditional tinde drum, was very precise and rhythmic.

Clad in traditional north African costumes, they were completely at home on the stage and very eager to please – frequently checking that everyone was enjoying themselves!

Communication with the audience was limited to short phrases, some of them in French, but the enthusiastic crowd conveyed their appreciation easily and loudly, clapping along and cheering – especially during the dances, which got faster and faster throughout!

Tinariwen returned for two encores on demand – but another 20 minutes or so, added on to quite a short set, would have been much appreciated by the audience.