Tag Archives: Mali

Vieux Farka Touré

African singer Vieux Farka Touré put out his first album in 2006, the year his father, legendary world-blues singer and guitarist Ali Farka Touré died.

Since then, Vieux has been carrying on the family tradition, mixing the sounds of his native Mali with other influences from around the world. He’s stopping in NYC for a show this weekend, and it promises to be good one.

In a great new Q&A with The Ithaca Journal, Vieux talks about his influences and carrying on his father’s work:

I come from that tradition [of Malian music], I must be respectful of it, and I love it, too. But then, I’m 28 years old and I listen to music from everywhere like a lot of young people: bangra, reggaeton, hip hop, blues, rock and roll. Now this always surprises people, but I really like Phil Collins!

So obviously all that shows up in my music …that said, I will always have one foot firmly planted in Mali’s traditional music, and one foot in all kinds of new music. Our musical traditions are so rich and so vast, and I think all Malian musicians know that we have a responsibility to share this wealth with the rest of the world.

Click here for the full interview.

Vieux Farka Touré performs at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street, Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets. $17 in advance, $20 day of show.