Vieux Farka Touré (MLI)
Thursday, September 21, 2023 / 8 p.m.
Zappa Baza (Vojvoda Bojović Boulevard 30a)
The concert is organized with the support of the City of Belgrade.
Vieux Farka Touré (photo: Kiss Diouara)
Guitarist, singer and composer VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ is a huge name in Malian music. He is the son of the famous musician Ali Farka Touré (1939 – 2006), one of the most recognized artists from the African continent worldwide. Vieux was born in 1981 in the small town of Niafunké. At an early age, he did not have the support of his father to follow in his footsteps, but despite this, Vieux secretly dedicated himself to music and the guitar. He progressed quickly and built his distinctive playing style and artistic expression, and when it came to recording the first album “Vieux Farka Touré” (2006), the guest musician on the album was his father Ali, who on that occasion made some of his last recordings before death. A series of Vieux’s solo releases followed: “Fondo” (2009), “The Secret” (2011), “Mon Pays” (2013) and “Samba” (2017), which expanded the boundaries of traditional West African music, and due to its extraordinary playing technique, Vieux earned the nickname Hendrix of the Sahara.
During all these years, Vieux’s career has been on an upward trajectory, securing him a high position among desert blues artists. He had many performances in different parts of the planet, as well as collaborations with numerous musicians, and a particularly attractive place in his career was the performance at the opening ceremony of the The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With the latest album “Les Racines” (World Circuit, 2022), in a kind of tribute to his father, Vieux returned to his roots, reconnecting more deeply with the Songhai heritage of northern Mali and the traditions of West Africa. All ten songs are his original compositions in which he dealt with various topics, mostly focused on true human values.
Vieux Farka Touré performs in Belgrade with his trio, which also includes Adama Koné (drums, calabash) and Marshall Henry (bass guitar). This is Vieux’s premiere concert in Serbia.
