The World Music Institute is set to present an upcoming performance by Vieux Farka Touré, a highly-acclaimed Malian musician, guitarist, and social activist. This event, co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl, will take place on Thursday, May 11 at 61 Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn. Doors will open at 6 PM, with DJ Henri beginning his set, followed by La Manga at 8:00 PM and Vieux Farka Touré at 9:00 PM. Please note that this event is standing room only, and tickets are priced at $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the show.
Vieux Farka Touré’s impressive musical talent has earned him the nickname “The Hendrix of the Sahara”. He was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981, and his 2007 debut album, released shortly after his father’s passing, included several duets with his father. This album established Vieux as his father’s musical heir and a critically acclaimed musician in his own right. Since then, he has released 10 albums, including 2022’s Les Racines and Ali, a personal tribute to his father’s legacy and the desert blues tradition.
La Manga, a cultural identity laboratory inspired by the rich heritage of cultural manifestations from the Caribbean coast in Colombia, will also perform at this event. This project, led by a collective of women artists, celebrates Black and Indigenous oral traditions, and highlights the power of Afro-Colombian drums such as tambor alegre, tambora, and llamador.
The event will be opened by DJ Henri, who specializes in the music of Mali and Guinea. He has previously opened for notable artists such as Salif Keita, Habib Koité, Tinariwen, and Rokia Traoré. In addition to hosting Radio Africa Online, the longest-running African all-music station online, he writes a column for Afropop Worldwide, and his podcast, Radio Africa Online Mixes, can be found on various podcast platforms.
This performance is part of WMI’s Let’s Dance series and marks Vieux Farka Touré’s return to the New York City stage since his 2016 performance at (le) poisson rouge.
(headline image: Vieux Farka Touré – photo by Kiss Diouara)
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central