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Sample Track 1:
"Ana" from Vieux Farka Touré
Sample Track 2:
"Ma Hine Cocore" from Vieux Farka Touré
Layer 2
CD Review

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Nashville City Paper, CD Review >>

Some sons are crushed or hindered by the greatness of their fathers, while others not only embrace it, but use it as the foundation for their own success. Vieux Farka Toure writes beautiful, passionate tunes and sings them with a grace and joy that is refreshing and memorable, while also playing lead and rhythm guitar with expressiveness and flair. Though he's the dominant voice on most songs, Toumani Diabate's kora playing is wondrous on "Toure de Niafunke" and "Diabate," while the larger group pieces such as "Courage," "Ana" and "Ma Hine Cocore" incorporate his accompaniment into musical clusters featuring rangy vocals from Issa Sory Bamba or another Toure offspring Seckou on top and an array of textures and instrumental contributions on the bottom. Just as Ali Farka Toure was a master of slowly percolating, ultimately poignant and exciting numbers, Vieux is also learning the art of understatement and the value of letting compositions flow rather than lurch. He shows just how much he learned from the elder Toure on "Tabara," as father and son work together on a soaring number that displays the wonders of Malian music. 02/01/07 >> go there
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