Although his nickname suggests otherwise,
Boureima “Vieux” Farka Touré is still quite young. He was born in 1981 into the shadow cast by the fame of his father Ali Farka Touré (who died in 2006). The young Touré did not, however, coast along on his father’s reputation: he writes virtually all his work himself. “Vieux” Farka, who started out as a drummer, has become a brilliant guitarist whose approach is more robust than his father’s. His music might be called a kind of African blues and you can hear this clearly on his latest album,
Mon Pays. The album is a musical tribute to his homeland of Mali that is now torn by violence. “This land is for peace and beauty, rich culture and tolerance,
” according to Touré, who stubbornly defends the true beauty and culture of Mali, while he never glosses over the tragedy taking place there.
