It’s one of those things with references: Vieux Farka Touré carries around the epithet »Hendrix of the Sahara« and the musical legacy of his father Ali Farka Touré. Big names, then, that are in the room for the music of the artist from Mali, born in 1981. What to do? Take a direct approach. On the album »Ali,« to be released on Dead Oceans on September 23, 2022, he pays homage to his father’s sound together with the Texas band Khruangbin. It all sounds grounded, psychedelic and whimsical. The rhythm doesn’t submit to the usual expectations of intoxicated blues on the advance track »Savanne«. Rather, Touré and band discover a pull that kicks in right with the guitar.
Blues, Funk & the Desert
Therefore, »Ali« is not a simple collaboration album, but exactly the mixture of just blues, funk, desert and psychedelic sound, which immediately captures and fascinates. Selecting from his father’s oeuvre, Touré chose better known pieces, but also B-sides for this record. »For me, music is magical, it’s spontaneous, it’s the energy between people,« he said in advance. Which could be the usual pre-release phrases. But he followed up with, »I think Khruangbin understands that very well«. The tracks on this album are proof. And it doesn’t even take the references in the back of your mind to see that.
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