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07 Mar 06 - 10:34 AM (#1687297) Subject: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Stilly River Sage I first heard this man's music on NPR's All Things Considered a dozen years ago or more and was so charmed by it that I ordered a CD immediately (not something I do very often). --SRS African Musician Ali Farka Toure Dies March 07, 2006 BAMAKO, Mali - Ali Farka Toure, a traditional African musician who won two Grammy Awards, died Tuesday in his native Mali after a long illness. He was in his late 60s. Mali's Culture Ministry said Toure died at his home in the capital, Bamako, after a long struggle with an unidentified illness, the ministry said. Toure, one of Africa's most famous performers, played a traditional Malian stringed instrument called the gurke. He was best-known overseas for his 1995 collaboration with American guitarist Ry Cooder on "Talking Timbuktu," which netted him his first of two Grammys. He won another Grammy this year in the traditional world music album category for his "In the Heart of the Moon" album, performed with fellow Malian Toumani Diabate. Across his deeply impoverished west African nation, people mourned Toure's passing and radio stations suspended regular play, sending Toure's signature lilting sounds out over airwaves instead. Toure was born in 1939 in the northern Sahara Desert trading post of Timbuktu. Like many Africans of his generation, the exact date of his birth was not recorded. Toure learned the gurkel at an early age, later also taking up the guitar. He cited many Western musicians for inspiration, including Ray Charles, Otis Redding and John Lee Hooker. Toure spent much of his older age in his childhood town of Niafunke, which has become a pilgrimage spot for many music-loving Africans and tourists seeking one of the original progenitors of a genre known as Mali Blues. |
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07 Mar 06 - 01:25 PM (#1687470) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: GUEST,Van Like you I grabbed a CD as soon as I heard his music. Any 'catter who hasn't listend to him should do their ears and soul a favour. |
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07 Mar 06 - 01:54 PM (#1687484) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Stilly River Sage I overshot the date of that radio review. 1999. Niafunké was the first CD of his that I bought. You can listen to snippets at the above Amazon link. SRS |
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07 Mar 06 - 02:08 PM (#1687500) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Shiplap Structure3 It wasnt just his music that so impressed me it was the way that he used it to improve conditions in Mali Sad loss |
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07 Mar 06 - 02:23 PM (#1687519) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Peace From Reuters, UK African bluesman Ali Farka Toure dies in his sleep Tue Mar 7, 2006 4:22 PM GMT By Tiemoko Diallo and Gamer Dicko BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian blues singer and guitarist Ali Farka Toure, one of Africa's best loved musicians, died in his sleep at home on Tuesday after a long fight with bone cancer. He was in his late 60s. Dubbed "the African John Lee Hooker", the Grammy-winning bluesman was among West Africa's most internationally successful artists, winning acclaim around the world for his 1994 album "Talking Timbuktu", recorded with Texan guitarist Ry Cooder. "Ali was for Mali, for Africa and for the rest of the world a very great musician. A musician who leaves behind him a fabulous heritage," said Culture Minister Cheick Oumar Sissoko. "We are receiving phone calls and emails from around the world today," he said on Malian state radio. Farka Toure, who was born in 1939 but did not know his exact date of birth, won a second Grammy last month for "In the Heart of the Moon", recorded with his countryman Toumani Diabate and voted best traditional world music album. He had just finished work on a new solo album when he died. "An exceptional guitarist, he transposed the traditional music of his native north Mali and single-handedly brought the style known as desert blues to an international audience," World Circuit, the label that produces his music, said in a statement. Radio stations interrupted their programmes to broadcast his hypnotic music. Some played homages from listeners and fellow musicians around the impoverished West African nation, which stretches across the southern edge of the Sahara desert. "LION OF THE DESERT" Though he achieved international renown later in his career, Farka Toure's life and music remained deeply rooted in the traditions of his home village, Niafunke, which lies in barren savannah near the fabled Saharan trading town of Timbuktu. He retreated from music to concentrate on his rice farm in 1990. When his producer convinced him to record again, an impromptu studio running on generators had to be set up in the village so he could tend his fields at the same time. He was appointed mayor of Niafunke, where he will be buried, in 2004 in recognition of his efforts to improve the agricultural and social situation of those living in the region. "He's one of the great, great, great musicians. Nobody does what Ali does. He is one of a kind: he is the lion of the desert," kora player Toumani Diabate wrote in the liner notes to "In the Heart of the Moon". Farka Toure, who took up the guitar at the age of 10, toured often in North America and Europe, adapting influences from jazz, blues and the traditional songs of West Africa's Songhai, Mande and Tuareg cultures. "All this music inspired Ali Farka, and he enriched all these traditions," Culture Minister Sissoko said. But fiercely proud of his native country, Farka Toure never allowed outside influences to dilute his musical heritage. "We were in the middle of the landscape which inspired the music and that in turn inspired myself and the musicians. My music is about where I come from and our way of life," Farka Toure was quoted as saying of his 1999 album, Niafunke. "In the West, perhaps this music is just entertainment and I don't expect people to understand. But I hope some might take the time to listen and learn." |
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07 Mar 06 - 04:12 PM (#1687615) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: katlaughing What a loss. Thanks for the link, SRS. I remember hearing him on NPR, too. May the hearts of the people of Mali and all whom he touched be lifted by his legacy of music. kat |
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07 Mar 06 - 06:08 PM (#1687743) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Amos Thanks, Maggie; a true beauty of a musician's soul. A |
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07 Mar 06 - 06:47 PM (#1687775) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Azizi Ditto the comments about the man and his music. Another great one gone. |
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07 Mar 06 - 06:54 PM (#1687787) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: The Fooles Troupe The ABC had a brief interview with the British Disk Jockey, who 'discovered' him. He found the LP in the discards bin in the shop, and the owner threw it in as he had bought so much other stuff. Subsequently he had a friend who went to Mali, and discovered that Ali was working as an engineer in the radio station, having given up the idea of being a musician. He was encouraged to tour Britain, and the rest is history. |
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07 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM (#1687791) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: The Fooles Troupe Sorry, left out: Be twee "so much other stuff." The disk jockey played the record once on air, and received so many letters expressing interest that he tried to contact the artist. "Subsequently" |
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08 Mar 06 - 04:06 PM (#1688513) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Stilly River Sage I guess I'm surprised that so few people responded to this thread. Faure was an amazing musician and I wish he'd had a wider audience in the non-African world. His music was deeply rooted in the land and in an interview years ago I remember a discussion of the spirituality he expressed in it. Guest Van's remark about listening to do your ears and soul a favor was right on the mark. It's so engaging and soothing at the same time. SRS |
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08 Mar 06 - 06:14 PM (#1688622) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African musician From: Shiplap Structure3 SRS I totally agree with your first point, The BBC have come up with a worthy tribute A fiting tribute |
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18 Mar 06 - 05:15 AM (#1696744) Subject: RIP Ali Farke Toure From: Brass Monkey An amazing multi faceted musical force. I was introduced to his music last year and I love it. |
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18 Mar 06 - 08:39 AM (#1696863) Subject: RE: RIP Ali Farke Toure From: GUEST,Philippa I too enjoyed Ali's music and was very sorry to hear of his demise. |
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18 Mar 06 - 10:41 AM (#1696927) Subject: RE: RIP Ali Farke Toure From: Brass Monkey I only heard of his death when I managed to get connected to adsl yesterday and tuned into radio 3...I'm living in the middle east and I haven't got satellite. I'd like to go to Mali when I finish my stint here, maybe in about 16 months. Has anyone else been there? |
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18 Mar 06 - 05:34 PM (#1697178) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African music 03-2006 From: Peter T. This is terrible! I had no idea he had died -- no obit anywhere. I have all his albums, and actually tracked down some of the desert influences from the Tuareg on his music. I was looking forward to a tour or something. He had that truly spellbinding sound..... Crap. yours, Peter T. |
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18 Mar 06 - 06:52 PM (#1697232) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African music 03-2006 From: Mick Pearce (MCP) There are several obits online - a search for "Ali Farka Toure"+obit will find them. Some examples are: AP obit at CNN BBC Obit CBC Obit Mick |
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17 Aug 21 - 06:38 AM (#4116829) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African music 03-2006 From: Waddon Pete Belatedly added to the "In Memoriam" thread. RIP |
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17 Aug 21 - 11:11 AM (#4116866) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African music 03-2006 From: GUEST,keberoxu Bless you, Stilly, but in your 8 March 2006 post, you refer to Touré as "Fauré" -- that's a whole 'nother composer! (Gabriel Fauré Joan Baez has always loved Fauré's 'Requiem') |
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17 Aug 21 - 05:36 PM (#4116897) Subject: RE: Obit: Ali Farka Toure, trad. African music 03-2006 From: Stilly River Sage I know the difference between the two. So 15 years later you come back to complain about an autocorrect typo? OCD in high gear! |