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CD Review
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The San Francisco Bay Guardian, CD Review >>
-by Tomas Palermo
Ali Farka Touré of Niafunké in Mali had been the Sahara blues sound's ambassador for 15 years before succumbing to bone cancer in 2006. His albums The River (Mango, 1990), The Source (World Circuit, 1991), and the Grammy-winning Talking Timbukutu with Ry Cooder (World Circuit, 1994) drew comparisons to American blues greats such as John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins, mostly due to Touré's stout voice and minimal arrangements. In truth, he was a virtuoso of Malian music who wove traditional instruments such as the kora and the calabash into his folk wisdom–infused compositions.
To the surprise of many, Touré's son had been secretly practicing guitar against his father's wishes — he didn't want him to suffer a poor musician's lot. Now Vieux Farka Touré steps out and reverently pays homage to his father's legacy while adding his own worldly influences. A family friend and master musician in his own right, the kora genius Toumani Diabaté lent the younger Touré professional guidance and appears on two tracks on Vieux Farka Touré, but Vieux proves on songs such as "Dounia" and the reggae-tinged "Ana" that his father's genes were all he needed.
That father-son bond is captured on "Tabara" and "Diallo," two somber numbers recorded together shortly before the elder's death. There's definitely a palpable inhale and exhale taking place on the album, as the younger Touré straddles traditional languages and arrangements ("Diabaté") and superbly modern grooves ("Courage"). 04/17/07 >> go there
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