By: Rick Landers
Mali-born guitarist Vieux Farka Touré’s musical inclinations come naturally. His father, Ali Farka Touré (1939 – 2006), was an internationally acclaimed musician who weaved together the complex rhythms and traditional style of Malian music with American blues, and was listed at the 76 spot on Rolling Stone‘s compilation of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Though his father urged him to join the military, Vieux discovered that he both loved and had a talent for music. It was to become his passion. Recognizing and valuing his son’s talents, Ali asked his friend and legendary African kora player, Toumani Diabaté, to professionally mentor his son.
The die was caste and Vieux Farka Touré began to make his mark in his native Mali and soon his name was on foreign tongues who were captivated by the young musician and spread the word worldwide.
Vieux Farka Touré is a relative newcomer to the international music scene, but he is making a name for himself that honors his father’s legacy as he forges his own unique style of music. In 2006 he released his self-titled debut album with some tracks with his father that are considered the last records of Ali on the Modiba-World Village label. That CD was soon followed up in 2007 with Vieus Farka Touré: Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako on Modiba.
During the summer of 2008, Touré could be found in the United States and entranced the audience at the 2007 Annual National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia. And we can anticipate the release of his third CD in May 2009, entitled, FONDO [The Road] on Six Degrees Records, an album featuring enigmatic blues; soft ballads and blistering “koroboro” or black African rock.
To better understand some of the Mali musical terms used in this interview, readers might want to visit this Wikipedia page.
Vieux Farka Touré: Well, my father was one of the greatest guitarists of all time and he was very proud to represent Mali at that level. But, you know, I grew up just thinking of Ali as my father. I never particularly thought of him as a famous musician. It was only when I traveled with him the first time to South Africa, when I was studying and playing calabash at the time, that I realized he was famous!
I was already secretly learning to play the guitar by then, since my father didn’t want me to become a professional musician. He planned for me to go into a military career. I guess, for me, it was almost a genetic passion from the beginning. And even my father came to recognize that and came to support my decision to play guitar and study it, instead of percussion at the conservatory here in Bamako.
Rick: Your native country, Mali, is known for the significant talent of its musicians with your father having been one of the most highly regarded world music guitarists. Your emergence on the international scene reflects a guitarist who fuses or draws from not only Malian music traditions, but Western music. What Western music and musicians influenced you when you began to create your own music?
Vieux: I’m a 27 year old and I listen to all kinds of music, including what most young people listen to everywhere in the world. I have everything from Bollywood soundtracks to hip hop, traditional Malian music and American country music on my iPod.
I have always loved Phil Collins, as a composer and as a drummer. I’m also a fan of Bryan Adams. “Summer of ’69” is such a great song! I listen to a lot of rap too. 50 Cent is my favorite now. I also like all the older reggae men, from Alpha Blondy to Bob Marley. Jimi Hendrix of course is great. My father was always receiving visits from foreign musicians, you know, so I always heard music in the house from all over the world. And there was radio too.
Vieux: (Laughs) I call it Koroboro Rock! Koroboro is the name we call ourselves up in northern Mali. For me, I take a traditional base in Malian music, then mix it all up with a lot of rock and roll, some reggae, some pop, some salsa even and it comes out Vieux Farka Toure !
Rick: When you first came to America, did you experience any culture shock? What impressed you the most, the good and not so good impressions?
Vieux: I felt right at home in America from the first time I went, as I already had friends there.My father has spoken a lot about his travels too. I love American audiences! They are the most spontaneous. They have a really good time listening to music and really let the musicians know they appreciate them.
It’s cool to play like that, with such give and take. I also love those big diesel trucks on the freeways and I admit to a weakness for KFC! [Laughs] What do I not like? Well, I’m not exactly a fan of George Bush. But, that’s not a problem anymore, is it ?
Rick: When you’re traveling away from your home what do you miss the most?
Vieux: Of course, I miss my family and I really miss the food. We also have a tea ritual in Mali several times a day. We try often to recreate that on the road. But, it’s hard to find the right tea, the time …
Rick: Have you studied the Kora or tried to incorporate Kora or n’goni playing techniques of that instrument to the guitar?
Vieux: No, I leave kora playing to the experts like Toumani! I can play the n’goni a bit. But, prefer to leave that to the masters too.
Rick: Does Mali have a major music scene or is there more of a village by village type of music culture?
Vieux: Mali has over 500 dialects, you know, and each dialect has its own culture, its own dances, songs, and language. That makes for a pretty rich tapestry of music, which I think is one of the reasons there is so much great Malian music out there.
Rick: Along the same line, for you, what differences in musical tradition do you experience between the city of Bamako and your father’s hometown, Niafunke’ in the Sahara desert?
Vieux: Niafunke is in the North of Mali. We are primarily Sonhrai, although there are many Tuaregs up our way too. It is an entirely different way of playing the guitar, different vocals than the Mandingue style in the Bamako area. And very difficult to mix the two.
Rick: So, you’re familiar with the desert blues of the nomadic Touregs. How does their music compare with American blues?
Vieux: Of course, I am very friendly with the Malian group Tinariwen. We toured together two years ago and are hoping to do something in Mali together too. Sometime when we are all in the country at the same time.
My aunt Haira Arby is also considered one of the great Tuareg voices. There are many Tuareg groups and musicians today. As my father always said, “You only have to listen to what the Touaregs play, what he played, what I play to hear where the blues came from.” The Touareg music though has a more droning, trance-like quality that I don’t hear in American blues.
Rick: How similar are the griots of Mali to traditional folk traditions of other countries that you have visited, like the United States and it’s Appalachian traditions of passing down music from generation to generation?
Vieux: Perhaps there are similarities. I don’t know your American versions. But, for us, griots are griots for generations and generations, and carry all our history.They validate every major event in our lives; births, baptisms, weddings, deaths. They are truly central to everything that happens in our society.
Rick: Would you be considered a “griot” within your own community?
Vieux: Oh, no! You have to be born a griot. We are not griots in my family.
Rick: Are there many brands of guitars that are available in Europe and the States available in music shops in your country?
Vieux: No. In fact, they are a rarity. Guitars are very expensive here, except maybe the cheaper ones coming in from China. You know many or maybe most musicians in Mali don’t even own their own instruments. They share or the band leader lends one to a given musician whenever he plays with him. We’ve even talked with the guys who make my guitar [Godin] about opening a shop representing them. But, I don’t think there is a big enough real market here.
Rick: Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant and other Western musicians have collaborated with Malian performers. Have you worked with them or others and who would you like to join on stage?
Vieux: I’ve been pretty lucky so far. I’ve played with some great musicians across the board. I did a radio show [Mountain Stage on NPR] with Dierks Bentley and really liked him. I also did a film score that wasn’t used in the final cut with Ry Cooder. I’d love to work with him more and his son Joachim. I also did the African tribute to James Brown last summer with Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley. I loved playing with them. That is music!
And I’ve done some stuff with Corey Harris who is like part of the family. I admire Bonnie Raitt. We’ve spoken, but I’ve never had the chance to work with her. I’ve even had an invitation to open for Dirty Projectors.They’re great. And I like Wilco a lot.
Rick: Have you worked with other Malian guitarists such as Tom Diakite, Habib Koite or others in any collaborative recordings?
Vieux: Not yet.
Vieux: Right now I am using a Godin. I can play it acoustic or electric and that’s great for touring. It’s a prototype I fell in love with when I went there for the first time. Last summer, though, I saw a new prototype I like even more!
Rick: Are you a multi-instrumentalist or are you singularly focused on guitar?
Vieux: I studied percussion, mainly drums. But, guitar is my passion. However, for the recording of my new album I’m actually playing most of the instruments so far!
Rick: Have you been involved in the engineering aspects of making your music?
Vieux: Yes. I worked on my first album with Eric Herman and I’ve did five rough mixes for my next album in the studio here in Bamako with just my engineer. It’s really important for me to do it for myself, right down to the fine details.
Rick: As a Mali citizen-artist, who is featured on In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, what were Bono’s contributions to Africa that may have influenced your own interests in supporting the needs of Africa, or specifically, the Mali people?
Vieux: Well, I think what he has done that is most important is to bring certain issues to the public eye, especially outside of Africa. But, it’s important for us Africans, us Malians, to remember that we need to find solutions ourselves, not wait for other countries or organizations to help us.
We have a saying here that goes, “When the wind blows, everyone grabs his own hat.” We need to concentrate locally on solutions and that’s one reason I contribute money to combat malaria. [10% of Tourés record sales go toward the purchase of mosquito nets for the Mali region of Niafunke.]
Rick: What purpose or goals did you have in mind when you agreed to help in the making of the film To Timbucktu?
Vieux: Andrea Wozny has been filming practically since I started this whole adventure from the very first jam sessions for the first album through the Festival in the Desert in January 2007, till my show with the James Brown tribute at Lincoln Center last summer. She’s very determined and I think it’s a cool idea.
Rick: Malian guitarist, Bourbacar Traoré, once sang, “The world was made for people to love one another. A life without love is not worth living.” Is loving to play the guitar enough for you?
Vieux: Ah, no! It’s my passion for sure. But, my family will always come first.
Related Links
Vieux Farka Touré
MySpace: Vieux Farka Touré
Music of Mali – Wikipedia
Godin Guitars
Michael G. Stewart – Imaging Solutions
