Ali Farka Touré Feat. Oumou Sangaré – Cherie (Official Video)
Music
Ali Farka Toure – Ai Du
If you’re looking for a track that sums up the term FLOW, listen no further than this track, Aidu Du, from Ali Farka Toure (RIP) and Ry Cooder’s album, Talking Timbuktu. My all-time favorite track to put on before the guests arrive for an outdoor party while setting up the grill.
Ali Ibrahim “Ali Farka” Touré (October 31, 1939 – March 6, 2006) was a Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent’s most internationally renowned musicians. His music is widely regarded as representing an intersection of traditional Malian music and its North American cousin, the blues. The belief that the latter is historically derived from the former is reflected in Martin Scorsese‘s often-quoted characterization of Touré’s tradition as constituting “the DNA of the blues”. Touré was ranked 76 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and 37 on Spin magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
Written by Ali Farka Toure in Tamasheq (the Berber language of the Touareg, related to the Semitic languages and ancient Egyptian). Liner note: “I travel to see my love, but I cannot enter her house. I sing or play so that she will hear me and find a way to meet me. Then I must return home to wake early for work.”
Enjoy.
CR’s Take
OVERALL SCORE
73
CR RECOMMENDED
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“Ai du” live by Vieux Farka Toure @ Joe’s Pub
Like father, like son…. the flow continues.
Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté – Debe live at Bozar
Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder-Ai Du
Musicologists may wax poetic about the connection between West African music and American blues, but this GRAMMY®-winning 1994 release—a genius collaboration between a Malian guitar legend and an American multi-instrumentalist/producer—was a groundbreaking proof-of-concept. Touré’s hypnotic melodies (sung in 11 languages!) float over shimmering acoustic and electric guitars from Cooder and notable guests (including John Patitucci and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown). Dusky, entrancing, and stunningly gorgeous, Talking Timbuktu transcends geographical and cultural borders.