Ali Farka Touré

Who is Ali Farka Touré?

Ali Farka Touré was a Malian singer and guitarist widely regarded as one of Africa's most influential modern musicians, often called "the African John Lee Hooker" for the hypnotic, blues-like quality of his playing. Born in the village of Kanau on the banks of the Niger River and raised in nearby Niafunké in Mali's Tombouctou region, he came from a Songhai farming family and was the only one of ten children to survive infancy, prompting his nickname "Farka," meaning donkey, for his tenacity. He worked through the 1970s as a sound engineer at Radio Mali in Bamako, using its studio, then the country's only one, to develop his sound before releasing a series of self-titled albums in Europe. His international breakthrough came through collaborations with Western musicians, including the Grammy Award-winning Talking Timbuktu (1994) with American guitarist Ry Cooder and In the Heart of the Moon (2005) with kora player Toumani Diabaté, also a Grammy winner; he won a third Grammy for a later release. His 1999 album Niafunké, recorded in his hometown rather than a foreign studio, reflected his commitment to rootedness in local tradition. In 2004 he was elected mayor of Niafunké, where he funded roads, drainage, and electricity for the town from his own earnings. He died of bone cancer in 2006 and was honored with a state funeral in Mali.

Sources: World Circuit Records, Ali Farka Touré artist biography · Recording Academy Grammy Awards database · Wikipedia, "Ali Farka Touré" (biographical entry, cross-referenced with contemporary press coverage)