Vieux Farka Touré

Fresh from releasing his critically acclaimed collaboration album with instrumental superstars Khruangbin, Mali’s favourite son Vieux Farka Touré will tour with his live band in Aotearoa for the first time in February 2023. One of the world’s most respected guitarists and musicians, Vieux Farka Touré will perform in Auckland February 21 and Wellington February 22, playing songs from his extraordinary catalogue. Including cuts from this year’s release Les Racines (hailed as one of the best albums of 2022), as well as from Ali, the 5 star reviewed album made alongside Khruangbin in tribute to Vieux’s father, the legendary Ali Farka Touré.

Les Racines received universal praise:

“I’m going to make a pronouncement. This is one of the albums of the year.

It’s amazing - the whole album!” - Sir Elton John

“A record that urgently puts Mali, a musical powerhouse, in the global spotlight. Outstanding.” 

- The Guardian 

“The songs are politically sharp and socially conscious, and Vieux sends out darkly mutating tendrils of blue over rolling, ravelling backing.”  - The Wire 

“The son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, Vieux Farka is continuing the tradition of those artists who came before him, while forging his own path. Les Racines is an ode to the past, yet Touré’s is constantly working towards a better future.”  - Glide Magazine 

Les Racines, translating as ‘the roots’, represents a deep reconnection with the traditional Songhai music of northern Mali. This is one of the northern West African musical traditions known in the West by the catch-all term ‘Desert Blues’. And Vieux’s roots run far deeper than most. His father, the late Ali Farka Touré, was acclaimed as one of the finest guitarists Africa has ever produced and was a pioneer in introducing this style to audiences around the world. 

Vieux spent two years making Les Racines, but the album had been gestating in his mind even longer. “I’ve had a desire to do a more traditional album for a long, long time. It’s important to me and to Malian people that we stay connected to our roots and our history,” Vieux explains.  

Never one to stick to just one creative path, Vieux’s other 2022 release Ali seamlessly melds his masterful guitar work and soulful singing with Khruangbin’s dubby psychedelia. 

New Zealand audiences can expect a truly mesmerising performance in February 2023.