Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin offer up lilting relaxation with new album ‘Ali’
Ali Farka Touré was one of music’s true heroes. His swansong saw him team up with fellow Malian master Tounami Diabaté with In the Heart of the Moon. For the album, the two Malian legends added an infusion of impetus to the pioneering force of Tinariwen. They helped to inspire the next generation of Taureg people to seek solace away from the disruption of political turmoil and climate change in music by offering up some of the most technical and enchanting guitar work ever recorded. However, at the time, he didn’t even consider himself a musician; he preferred the humble title of farmer.
The legend stepped away from music in 200 to help cultivation projects in his home region. He poured his money into a community irrigation scheme and was elected mayor of 53 villages in 2004 before sadly passing away in 2006, a year after his fateful album with Diabaté. In short, he is a man well worth honouring, and his son, Vieux Farka Touré, along with Khruangbin, have honoured him in style.
His own playing carried the humility of his character. It contained the mixed multitudes of a sprawling revolution, beautiful sounds and depth of contemplation. The same can be said for this partly improvised tribute. Amid the lilting beauty of the sound is a sense of depth that goes beyond mere serenity. This is the blues in the truest technicolour sense, as decreed by Wynton Marsalis, who said: “Everything comes out in blues music: joy, pain, struggle. Blues is affirmation with absolute elegance.”
The deep sense of time, place and history rooted within Ali Farka Touré’s music was boundless. Thus, Vieux and Khruangbin would always have a tough time encapsulating it. However, this is no pastiche. There is a freshness to the slight funk-inclined sound, implying the progression that the hero always sought.
The free-form nature of the project provides vitality to these songs. They might be mundane in certain brief moments, but that isn’t too much of a criticism. The record is a meditative stroll, so it can’t all be rainbows and waterfalls; there are journeys in between. The fact it was seemingly cut live only adds to that. There is a sense of energy and flow to these floral pieces of music.
Whether you’re looking for relaxing music to fill your background with a bit of relaxing beauty or a blanket you can sink into spiritually, Ali is a luscious gem with your time. In short, this is a peaceful place to picnic and a fitting tribute to an old master and hero.
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