Music

Vieux Farka Touré

Creature Stage
Category
Music
Where
Creature Stage
Time
20:00-21:00,
Dec 18
Bio

Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, singer, songwriter and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré is the second son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré.

Born in 1981, Vieux was drawn to music at a young age, and growing up in his father's hometown of Niafunké and the Malian capital, Bamako, he began playing percussion, growing adept on both calabash and drum kit. For most of his early career, his father thwarted his musical desires, urging him instead to become a soldier and avoid the many problems he himself had endured by becoming an artist. Eventually, Vieux began to extend beyond his father's shadow, and while staying true to his West African roots, Vieux's music also incorporates influences such as American blues, rock, jazz, pop, and Latin music.

Following his self-titled 2007 debut, he established his reputation as a world-class guitarist. He played at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in June of 2010, the same month he released Live, a document of his powers as a performer. He has collaborated with numerous musicians spanning several genres. His 2011 studio full-length The Secret included appearances by Dave Matthews, John Scofield, and Derek Trucks. He recorded two multilingual albums with Israeli pianist Idan Raichel as the Touré-Raichel Collective, and released Touristes with American ukulele player and vocalist Julia Easterlin in 2015. Soon after issuing the stripped-down 2022 solo effort Les Racines, Vieux released Ali, a collaboration with globe-trotting Texan trio Khruangbin, named in tribute to the guitarist's late father.

Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, singer, songwriter and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré is the second son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré.

Born in 1981, Vieux was drawn to music at a young age, and growing up in his father's hometown of Niafunké and the Malian capital, Bamako, he began playing percussion, growing adept on both calabash and drum kit. For most of his early career, his father thwarted his musical desires, urging him instead to become a soldier and avoid the many problems he himself had endured by becoming an artist. Eventually, Vieux began to extend beyond his father's shadow, and while staying true to his West African roots, Vieux's music also incorporates influences such as American blues, rock, jazz, pop, and Latin music.

Following his self-titled 2007 debut, he established his reputation as a world-class guitarist. He played at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in June of 2010, the same month he released Live, a document of his powers as a performer. He has collaborated with numerous musicians spanning several genres. His 2011 studio full-length The Secret included appearances by Dave Matthews, John Scofield, and Derek Trucks. He recorded two multilingual albums with Israeli pianist Idan Raichel as the Touré-Raichel Collective, and released Touristes with American ukulele player and vocalist Julia Easterlin in 2015. Soon after issuing the stripped-down 2022 solo effort Les Racines, Vieux released Ali, a collaboration with globe-trotting Texan trio Khruangbin, named in tribute to the guitarist's late father.