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Album review
Samba Touré
Songhaï Blues, Homage To Ali Farka Touré
Paris
26/08/2009 -
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While the title of Samba Touré's new album has the merit of giving listeners a precise and instant idea of its content - useful for an artist who has yet to make his name on the world stage - it is also tempting to dismiss Samba Touré as just another wannabe jumping on the tribute bandwagon.
However, Samba Touré's credentials are of the highest order. Samba, who grew up in Dabi, a small village in northern Mali, is a legitimate heir of the late great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré (who died of bone cancer in 2006). The Grammy-award winning guitarist, credited with inventing "desert blues", took Samba under his wing at an early age and taught his young protégé all he knew. Later, Ali Farka whisked Samba off on a world tour and also stepped in to produce his debut album, Fondo, in 2004.
It was Ali Farka who encouraged Samba to look to his roots and establish his own identity rather than following passing music fads. When Samba launched his career as part of the group Farafina Lolo (African Star), he spent his time adapting Congolese dance rhythms. But with Ali Farka's help and advice, he came to hone his own distinctive blues sound.
Drawing on traditional Songhai culture and his own personal experiences, the 41-year-old singer and guitarist is now aiming to share his music with the rest of the world. Working with a group of talented backing musicians (a number of whom have accompanied him for many years), Samba recently went into one of the top studios in Bamako to lay down the thirteen energy-fuelled tracks on his new CD.
A number of songs such as Ali Farka and Anbafo featured on Samba's first cassette album released in Mali. Others come from his 2007 release Aïto and these include Yawoye, "an ode to the women of Timbuktu who come out once a year" for Mawlid (a religious celebration commemorating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad). Those seeking an intelligent insight into Malian culture and the country's ancient traditions should start by taking a listen to Samba Touré's Songhai blues.
Samba Touré Songhaï Blues, Homage To Ali Farka Touré (World Music Network/Harmonia Mundi) 2009
 Samba Touré's homage to Ali Farka Touré |
Bertrand Lavaine
Translation : Julie Street
26/08/2009 -
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