Azalai is a sixth fragrance from the Stockholm-based perfumery Stora Skuggan. Azalai is a caravan route through the Ténéré region of the Sahara desert where camel trains have transported salt and gold for a thousand years. Along the route stood a single acacia tree, the only living thing in a sea of sand. This was the most isolated tree in the world, 150 km from anything else.
This acacia, known as The Tree of Ténéré, was the last surviving plant from a time when the desert was less parched than it is today, thanks to its roots reaching deep into a water pocket, an underground pool hidden more than 30 meters below the desert. It is easy to see how the Tuareg caravan riders, themselves desert survival specialists, held the tree and its amazing strength in the highest esteem. Breaking the branches for firewood or letting the camels eat the leaves was considered blasphemy.
This loneliest tree in the world was one of very few landmarks along the Azalai, a sacred testament to the resilience of life, which had guided caravans for centuries. Despite this, and the fact that it was the only obstacle for miles around, in 1973 a truck driver crashed into the tree when he fell asleep at the wheel, destroying the tree.
The fragrance started as an olfactory impression of gold, with radiant warmth from saffron and blood orange, and the glossy, luxurious musk velvione (a material that has been described as pressing your nose against the skin of a newborn’s scalp). Gum acacia, a syrup made from acacia sap, provides sugary sweetness balanced by salty amber and incense. A touch of mint tea and dried fruit pays tribute to the Tuareg caravan riders.
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