Ali Farka Touré
From rural Mali, this guitarist, singer and songwriter became a true world music superstar in the ‘90s as his musical collaborations reached a wide audience and became embedded in world music consciousness. Born on the banks of the Niger River in 1939 in the remote and ancient region of Tombouctou (Timbuktu), Ali Farka Toure became intrigued by the ceremonial music used to communicate with the ancestral spirits, known as “Ghimbala.” Although the region’s inhabitants claim to be strictly Muslim, Toure was known as one who could communicate with the spirits and learned to play traditional instruments such as the ngoni, a four stringed lute, the njarka, a single stringed violin, the djerkel, a single stringed guitar, and the Peul bamboo... Read More
- City Of Origin:
- Timbuktu, Mali
- Genre:
- World, Africa, Malian
- Birthdate:
- 10/31/1939
- Death date:
- 10/31/1939