Ali Farka Toure

The great Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Toure has died.



I have neither the time nor knowledge to write full obituary, but I will share one of this songs. Sorry, RIAA.

The song, "Amadinin", was recorded sometime in the 1970s for Mali's national radio station, Radio Mali. The American news media sometimes refers to Toure as a "West African John Lee Hooker." This recording proves what a stupid, lazy description that is. "Amadinin" does indeed sound like what American ears recognize as Blues, but it's actually a traditional Tamashek melody and rhythm. Before it was African-American, Blues music was just African. Before it migrated North to Chicago from the Mississippi Delta, it had to migrate West from the Niger. If anything, John Lee Hooker was an American Ali Farka Toure.

Here's "Amadinin" from the great Ali Farka Toure compilation Radio Mali.