Global musicians regard Malian blues legend Ali Farka Touré as one of the most important guitar players of all time, noting his residence at the crossroads between traditional African and American musics.
In particular, blues from Mali fuses plaintive narrative with the shuffling rhythm that’s the staple of American bayou blues. Ali Farka Touré’s 1994 CD with American guitarist Ry Cooder, “Talking Timbuktu,” demonstrated his blues prowess as well as his ability to blend disparate African cultures into a unified African statement–Touré sings in 11 languages on the album.
