Growing up, Vieux Farka Touré played calabash (a unique-sounding dried gourd drum used in Mali) and other percussion, but his father, famed guitarist Ali Farka Touré, didn’t want Vieux to face the same struggles he had as a musician, and discouraged him from following the same path. The Touré family comes from a noble lineage, in a land where musicians usually come from a musical caste.
Ali went against his own family’s societal role to become a musician and suffered as a result; first struggling to make a living at home in Mali, and then getting cheated by a French producer early in his career. The BBC reported that when he won his first Grammy award, Ali chose not to travel to the United States to collect his prize, saying: “I don’t know what a Grammy means but if someone has something for me, they can come and give it to me here in Niafunke, where I was singing when nobody knew me.”
Ali wanted his son to become a soldier. But Vieux secretly took up the guitar behind closed doors. He enrolled in the Arts Institute in Bamako, the same institution where Habib Koite and many other Malian musicians of note studied. When Ali realized Vieux was not going to give up on playing guitar, he enlisted his good friend Toumani Diabate as Vieux’s advisor.
When young North American producer Eric Herman of Modiba Productions expressed interest in recording Vieux he had to seek permission from Diabate, the senior Toure, and other community elders. Once Diabate and Toure heard Vieux’s initial recordings, they realized they had underestimated the younger Toure’s virtuosity. “Toumani looked shocked,” recalls Herman. “Vieux turned to me and said “See, nobody knows I can play music like this.” I knew” and it didn’t seem to be a secret that he is a really dynamic guitarist. But among the elders who he needed to be respectful of, he was humble and hiding it.”
“Though my father initially resisted my playing music,” explained Vieux, “once he saw that it was truly my ambition and my calling, he was at my side; and he stayed there until the end.”
In 2013, Vieux released Mon Pays (Six Degrees Records). “I wanted to pay homage to our musical heritage,” said Vieux Farka Touré. Being that his native Mali was splintered by territorial fighting between Tuareg and Islamic rebels since January 2012, Mon Pays was devoted to reminding the world about the beauty and culture of his homeland. “For me, it is a statement for the world that this land is for the sons and daughters of Mali, not for Al Qaeda or any militants. This land is for peace and beauty, rich culture and tolerance. This is our heritage, what we must always fight to protect in any way that we can. For me, that means making music that reminds the world of who we are.”
In 2015, Vieux Farka Touré teamed up with American vocalist Julia Easterlin for an impromptu studio session in New York City resulting in ‘Touristes,’ an album that brought together their respective musical roots and passions. The album included original songs, as well as covers of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and Fever Ray’s “I’m Not Done.”
In 2021, Vieux Farka Touré released “A Song For The Sahel” in partnership with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The song aims to draw youngsters in the region towards peace and away from extremism. “Music is a fantastic tool to share messages. Sharing awareness is of paramount importance. It has a strong impact on what happens in our countries,” said Touré.
In March 2022, Vieux Farka Touré released the song “Gabou Ni Tie”. This new song will appear in Touré’s new album “Les Racines”, described as a return to the roots. “Early in my career people asked why I wasn’t just following my father. But it was important for me to establish my own identity,” Vieux said. “Now people know what I can do, I can return to those roots with pride and I hope a certain authority.”
“Les Racines” was recorded in Bamako. in Vieux’s home studio. “We are nothing if we abandon respect for the past,” Vieux added. “But we can also marry modernity with the strength of our traditions.”
The ten songs on “Les Racines”are all original compositions and address various topics, traditional and contemporary. “In Mali many people are illiterate and music is the main way of transmitting information and knowledge,” Vieux explained. “My father fought for peace and as artists we have an obligation to educate about the problems facing our country and to rally people and shepherd them towards reason.”
“Returning to the roots of this music is a new departure for me and I’ve never spent so long or worked so hard on an album. I knew it had to be deep and durable and powerful and so I took a lot of time to reflect on how to do it and put it together.”
Discography:
Vieux Farka Touré (World Village, 2006)
Vieux Farka Touré Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako (Modiba, 2007)
Fondo (Six Degrees Records, 2009)
Live (Six Degrees Records, 2010)
The Secret (Six Degrees Records, 2011)
Mon Pays (Six Degrees Records, 2013)
Touristes (Six Degrees Records, 2015)
Samba (Six Degrees Records, 2017)
Les Racines
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.
Updated biography