Vieux Farka Touré, Melat Mengesha @ Koerner Hall, Saturday

Malian guitar slinger Vieux Farka Touré carries on the family business of his legendary father at Koerner Hall with Melat Mengesha opening on Saturday.

Here's the scoop from Batuki Music Society...

Known worldwide for his electrifying live shows, Vieux Farka Touré’s virtuosic guitar work blends Malian blues, rock, and soul. Winner of Ethiopian Idol Melat Mengesha opens the show at 8 pm. 

Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara,” Vieux Farka Touré is the son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. His live performances are highly energized, and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences despite any language barriers (though Vieux does speak eight languages!).

Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, now based in Toronto, Melat Mengesha’s music features contemporary, folk, and Ethio-jazz roots sounds. Two major influences in her artistic expression are the legendary Ethiopian singers Gigi (Ejigayehu Shibabaw) and Aster Aweke. A major turning point came in 2015, when Melat won the first season of Balageru (Ethiopian Idol). That breakthrough opened the door to a variety of showcases and performances, from intimate stages to large-scale concerts, allowing her to tour across her hometown and beyond.

After the concert, enjoy a beverage and more music at the Postlude Performance in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria.

Get tickets for Vieux Farka Touré with Melat Mengesha at Koerner Hall (273 Bloor St. West) on Saturday (October 3) at 8 pm via The Royal Conservatory site right here. 

Watch a few performances below. 

R.I.P. Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté, 1965-2024

Sadly, self-taught Malian kora virtuoso Toumani Diabaté has passed away far too soon at the age of 58. He'll be greatly missed.

Mali's Vieux Farka Touré hits Quebec on July 6-7

Vieux Farka Touré presents his new band at Montreal's Club Soda on Saturday (July 6) and FEQ in Quebec City on Sunday (July 7).

You can get tickets for all of Vieux Farka Touré's upcoming dates from his site right here: https://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/tour.

Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin celebrate Ali Farka Touré's musical legacy

Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré has been playing with Khruangbin to promote 'Ali' their tribute to Ali Farka Touré out now.

Here's the scoop...

Khruangbin and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré recently shared “Tongo Barra” from their new collaborative album Ali honouring Vieux’s late father, the great Ali Farka  Touré, released via Dead Oceans in partnership with Night Time Stories Ltd. “Tongo Barra” is an engrossing, nearly six-minute cornerstone of Ali sung in the Malian Songhai dialect. Check the clip below.  

Already Ali has established itself as one of the most anticipated releases of the pairing’s celebrated careers, with the track “Savanne” earning widespread acclaim upon release, leading NPR Music to praise its “labyrinthine fusion of dub, blues and Malian grooves,” calling it “hypnotic” on an episode of All Songs Considered, naming it a top tune on their #NowPlaying column. Listen to "Savanne" below. 

The resulting eight songs on Ali are a rightful ode to a legend, a refreshed West African blend of musical reference the pairing hopes reaches new generations and audiences alike. The album will be released the day after Republic Day, Mali’s National holiday commemorating the independence of the Republic of Mali from the Mali Federation on September 22nd, 1960. 

Ali, as GQ puts it, “expands Khruangbin’s sound into blues territory with a hint of West African palm wine music. It’s more pulsing and energetic. You can zone out and cut a rug.” “First they pull you in. Then they make you float….,” they continue. 

Recently the pairing played a sold-out show in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park on one of the hottest days of the year. Watch their performance of "Mahine Me" below. 

With each new project both Khruangbin and Vieux broaden their horizons, embrace new challenges and further entrench their shared reputation as some of the world’s most talented and innovative musicians. This June, Vieux released his latest album Les Racines in which he masterfully returns to the deep roots of the Desert Blues music that his father introduced to the world and writes of his country’s overlapping security, political, and humanitarian crises. 

In February, Khruangbin released their second collaborative EP with soul singer Leon Bridges, the sultry, chart-topping Texas Moon, which garnered widespread critical acclaim and pushed the boundaries of R&B sound.

Cover art based on the original work ”Homme Du Sahel” by Abdoulaye Konaté, 2015. Courtesy of Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. 

Ali - Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin 

Savanne

Lobbo

Diarabi

Tongo Barra

Tamalla

Mahine Me

Ali Hala Abada

Alakarra

 

You can get a copy of Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin's new Ali album via your platform of choice right here https://deadoc.co/ali-album. Watch their performance of "Diarabi" in Santa Fe followed by the full album below. Read Nick Millevoi's story about the collaboration in Premier Guitar's November issue right here. 

 

Malian guitar great Vieux Farka Touré swings through Québec in August

Vieux Farka Touré will be presenting songs from Les Racines in Québec City, Sherbrooke and Gaspé from August 11 to 14th. 

Vieux Farka Touré on tour

Aug 5 - Nectar's - Burlington, VT

Aug 7 - Long's Park Summer Music Series - Lancaster, PA

Aug 9 - Caffe Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY

Aug 11 - Quai des Cageux - Québec City, QC

Aug 12 - Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke, QC

Aug 14 - Festival Musique du Bout du Monde - Gaspé, QC

Aug 18 - Treibhaus - Innsbruck

Aug 19 - Porgy&bess Jazz Music Club, Vienna - Vienna, Austria

Aug 20 - KASUMAMA - Gmünd, Austria

Aug 21 -World Music Festival Bratislava - Bratislava, Slovakia

Tickets and info --> https://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/tour

Vieux Farka Touré's Les Racines album is available on LP, CD and digitally here: https://WorldCircuit.lnk.to/VFTRacinesFB

Musicians from Mali salute Ali Farka Touré with "Howkouna" collaboration

Watch the animated clip for "Howkouna" following Ali Farka Touré's original version for his Niafunke album. 

Vieux Farka Touré & Idan Raichel light up Koerner Hall, Friday

The Malian guitarist and Israeli keyboardist recently issued their second studio collabo, The Paris Session.