Ali Farka Touré – Voyageur (World Circuit Records, 2023)
The highly anticipated album, ‘Voyageur‘, by the iconic African guitarist and vocalist, Ali Farka Touré, was recently released on March 10th, 2023, through World Circuit Records. This album features a fantastic collection of previously unheard Touré material, the first since 2010s posthumous Grammy-winning ‘Ali & Toumani‘. ‘Voyageur’ is a testament to Touré’s exceptional talent and global reputation as a legend of African music and world music as well. The album, produced by World Circuit’s Nick Gold with the assistance of Ali’s son Vieux Farka Touré, is available in various formats, including 180G vinyl, CD, and digital, and it features three tracks with fellow Malian superstar Oumou Sangaré.
The captivating timelessly crafted songs on ‘Voyageur’ were captured spontaneously over a 15-year period, on the road and in the studio during sessions for other albums. Ali had a personal attachment to each of these songs, which reflect his deep passion for his homeland’s cultural diversity and creativity. Throughout his life, Ali was a traveler, a Voyageur, moving between the desert stages of Timbuktu, studios in West Hollywood, concert halls in London and Tokyo, and tiny villages on the Malian riverside where he was known to everyone.
Ali Farka Touré is a revered Malian musician who has had a significant impact both in his home country and on the global stage. As the spiritual father of the Desert Blues, Touré’s distinctive voice and hypnotic guitar playing communicate with listeners on a level that transcends markets, fashions, and genres. He collaborated with Ry Cooder and kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, earning a Grammy, and recorded gritty, lo-fi music in his remote village. Even after his death 16 years ago, Ali remains a towering figure in world music.
Ali’s music has inspired listeners worldwide, including famous admirers such as Robert Plant, actor Matthew McConaughey, and Texas indie-rockers Khruangbin, who recently recorded a collection of Ali’s songs with Vieux. ‘Voyageur’ features a diverse range of songs, from pared-back, spellbinding grooves in Ali’s signature Songhai style to sirring fishermen’s choruses, pulsating hunters’ rhythms, and fiery African rock with reverb-laden guitars and lutes (‘Kombo Galia’). This album reveals a secret trove of songs that Ali built up over his long and varied career, shedding new light on his extraordinary talent.
These songs, part of what producer Nick Gold describes as a “precious, private archive”, were revealed by Ali sparingly, at times apparently grudgingly to Gold over a period of 25 years. And Ali knew exactly what he was doing: that by feeding these songs gradually through to Gold they would, one-day, reach a global audience;. Several of these songs were aired completely spontaneously between takes on other songs. Thankfully, the tapes were rolling, or much of the music on this extraordinary album might have never been heard.
Buy Voyageur
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.