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Vieux Farka Touré

From Mali

The Malian blues prince ascends to the throne

Since he last graced us with his presence, Vieux Farka Touré has played to many people. Over a billion in one sitting, in fact, when he performed to a mindboggling television audience at the 2010 World Cup opening concert. When it comes to such opportunities, genealogy does give Vieux an advantage above other Malian bluesmen, but to simply lay his success upon the legacy of his late father Ali Farka Touré is to woefully undermine his own virtuosity. Sure, there are echoes of Ali's wiry technique, but there's also as much Hendrix in there too (at least, Hendrix at his more restrained). But one family trait is certainly retained. Ali's considerable international success was always on his own bidding. Vieux operates in a similar fashion. In praising his latest album The Secret, Rolling Stone heartily applauded how his American collaborators "come to his music, not the other way around". His music, his terms, his life.

(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2011)

Soundcheck At Momo's - Vieux Farka Touré

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