I know Deborah J loves Bombino, so at least one other person will enjoy this thread.
Bombino was the best of the three different opening bands I saw open for Robert Plant this summer. If you like Tinariwen, then the Niger-born Tuareg guitarist Omara "Bombino" Moctar and his band should be right up your alley. Their new album "Nomad" was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and it is one of the best albums of the year.
http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/nomad
The Santa Monica Pier has a free concert series every summer, with the concerts held on Thursday evenings, beginning around 7pm.