by Ali Farka Toure, Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder List Price:$16.00 Our Price:$13.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, March 29, 1994
Label: Hannibal
Average Customer Review: 5 Based on 26 reviews.
Sales Rank: 1106
Tracks
1.
Diaraby
2.
Ai Du
3.
Banga
4.
Keito
5.
Lasidan
6.
Amandrai
7.
Sega
8.
Gomni
9.
Soukora
10.
Bonde
Editorial Review
Talking Timbuktu is a groundbreaking record that vividly illustrates the Africa-Blues connection in real time. Ali Farka Toure, one of Mali's leading singer-guitarists, has a trance-like, bluesy style that, although deeply rooted in Malian tradition, bears astonishing similarity to that of John Lee Hooker or even Canned Heat. It's a mono-chordal vamp, with repetitive song lines cut with shards of blistering solo runs that shimmer like a desert mirage. Toure may be conversant with some blues artists, but it is unlikely that artists like Hooker or Robert Pete Williams ever heard these Malian roots, which makes the connection so uncanny. Ry Cooder, well versed in domestic and world guitar styles, is the perfect counterpoint in these extended songs/jams, his sinewy slide guitar intertwining with his partner's in a super world summit without barriers or borders. --Derek Rath
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 great collanboration
This CD is the result of a great collaboration between two very talented but different musicians. Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure. Toure plays in a rhythmic blues influenced style that is evocative of John Lee Hooker and Lighnin Hopkins. The music here is contemporary yet distinctly African. Cooder and Toure are supported by a great group of session musicians here including jazz bassist John Patitucci and guitarist Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown. This recording is ideal for anyone interested in African music from a blues perspective.
Rating:
5 Hauntingly beautiful
Probably the most satisfying CD of Ali Farka Toure. Ry Cooder has assembled an excellent cast of musicians to back him, including the immortal Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown on violin. The songs are hauntingly beautiful, echoing the Blues, but indebted more to the pervasive Muslim inflence in West Africa. Toure is one of the grand masters of Malian music, which has an incredibly rich heritage. He is a purist at heart and this music reflects that approach, although it has been jazzed up to reach a broader audience. "Soukora" and "Ai Du" will leave you breathless. One only wishes that Toure had the chance to meet John Lee Hooker, since the two seem like soulmates. When he heard Hooker, Toure apparently was so stunned that he said Hooker belongs in Africa. It just goes to show you that the Blues is firmly embedded in the African tradition.
Rating:
5 A Simply Gorgeous Album
The liner notes tell us that Toure speaks eleven languages and that on this album he sings in Songhai, Bambara, Peul and Tamasheck. And do you know what? It doesn't matter that I don't understand the words. Music is a universal language and the music on this disc is gorgeous! I first bought this album because Ry Cooder is one of the best guitarists on the planet. I've now added Ali Farka Toure to that list. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rating:
5 Mad Mississipi-Mali connection!!!
This is primarily a modern cd,a cd to be hear by all the world.This is a great reunion of many streams in the musical view.The voices,the rythms,all of the contents is really result of a great,serious work of that great musicians such Ry Cooder;Ali Farka;Clarence and others.All of the blues lovers knows the great influences of Afro-American rythms,lyrics,etc...in the blues,and this cd is a rare opportunity to be in contact with the bluesman of Mali,and this excelent musician called Ry Cooder,one of the best folk-songster from all the times.The guitar tunes in this cd is pure,the drums echoes with a kind of vibration,difficult to explain.Another refined cd,for those people that loves good music,modern music and all of it's varieties.I really recomend this cd!!!!
Rating:
5 Love Ali Farka Toure and Salif Keita
I am in love with music from Mali. It is music that touches the soul. The region have deep traditions...Then when you understand the lyrics....then you say God has really blessed them with wisdom. The region has over 700 000 manuscripts and old universities where people from all over came to study in Timbuktu, Djenne...you can find more information on the web at http://www.timbuktufoundation.org
Rating:
5 Universal Sounds
A stunning collaboration hihglighting Ali Farka Toure's uncanny ability to evoke deep southern blues and Ry Cooder's equallly uncanny ability to blend traditional music with his own jazz and blues sensibilty (as well as that of guests such as bassist John Patatucci and Clarence Gatemouth Brown)in a respectful and successful way. This album will appeal to many people including fans of Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder as well as anyone who appreciates blues. This is contemplative music that can really set a mood; gentle and deeply funky all at the same time.
Rating:
5 Unbelievable "Feel Good" Bluesy Music of Mali - The Best
I have 6 or 7 CDs of music from Mali and find myself listening to this one most often. While I love them all --- the combination of musicians: Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder is unbeatable. Track #1 "Bonde" sung in Peul begins with a fantastic guitar introduction by Ali Farka Toure. Each note is drawn out just right to hook the emotions. The congas played by Oumar Toure provides an infectious rhythm. One male voice begins while a chorus responds in rhythmic unity, telling the story of why some women are unsuitable for marriage. Track #2 "Soukara" is sung in the Bambara language ... it has the sound and feeling of music from the Caribbean with a suitable ambient melody. The male vocalist pours his heart out to his lover at night, so say the liner notes. Another favorite track is #5 "Amandral" sung in the Temasheck language. The rhythms and sounds of this desert tribe is familiar. They are unforgetable on the CDs, "Festival in the Desert" and "Radio Tisdas Sessions", both of which are highly recommended. As each guitar note is plucked, the feelings of the listener are hooked. The feelings rise ... ever higher in resonance with the melody and mood expressed on the slide, acoustic and bass guitars, drums, calabash, and congas. Without exaggerating, I feel this CD contains some of the finest guitar playing on the planet. Other favorites are: #6, "Lasidan" (#6) which has a peppy, cheerful and upbeat tempo and #7, "Keito", which has musical elements of India and Pakistan or is it the Meditarranean? Ry Cooder plays the tamboura, Ali Farka Toure plucks and strums the electric guitar. There is a syncopated rhythm played on the congas and calabash. The music of Mali is highly distinct and very appealing. It is the best music from Northern Africa, and to this listener, the best from the whole continent of Africa. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
Rating:
3 Pleasant but FAR from compelling collaboration
This meeting of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure and American Ry Cooder is a pleasant listen, but is far from a "must-have", unless you are already a big fan of Toure or Cooder. It's pretty meager, considering the rave critical reviews when the album first came out. The music is VERY laid-back, with a couple of slow blues tunes, a couple of instrumentals featuring Toure on a njarka violin, two tracks with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and a lot of forgettable tunes. The highlights are "Soukora" and the closing "Diaraby". Toure sings in four African languages, if that interests you. While I like world music, in eight years I have never once NEEDED to hear this album RIGHT NOW, a basic trait of any really good album. It's nice while you're listening to it, but it evaporates instantly from memory when the CD ends.(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)
Rating:
4 Talking African Blues
Ry Cooder brings another great musician to light. Ali Farka Toure is a leading singer-guitarist from Niafunke, Mali and Ry Cooder has made quite a discovery in this artist. His music is quite good, and very bluesy, though it's a laid back blues. It has been said all along (I don't know by whom, but it has been said) that most of American Blues is just transformed African music, and I think this album clearly illustrates that. The resemblance between this music and just about any album by John Lee Hooker is quite amazing at times. The lyrics are somewhat repetitive in that African chanting style, but the music that weaves under and around the lyrics is phenomenal at times. Ry Cooder does a good job of extending some more traditional blues stylings into the great music that is led by Toure, just as he has with so many other international artists. My favorite track from this CD is "Gomni" this track is a very emotional song about hard work and the effects it has on the individual. The melody is trance like at times but changes around enough that it feels almost vivacious in its sound. There are quite a few other great songs on here like "Bonde", "Amandrai" and "Keito" but they all have to be listened to truly appreciate their beauty. The CD as a whole works very well and seems to present a unified face of music that winds around your heart and your ears, much like the Niger river that flows through Toure's homeland. My one complaint about this CD is that maybe Ry left this CD too much up to Toure, Cooder's great work is almost overpowered by the singer/guitarist wonderful sounds. I think that Cooder achieved a much better synthesis on the Buena Vista Social Club and on BVSC presents Ibrahim Ferrer, where he works with some Cuban musicians. I've also heard that his work on A Meeting by the River is really good, where he teams up with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and looks at classical Indian music. If you like this CD I would recommend any of the ones mentioned above as well as Kulanjan where the Blues artists Taj Mahal teams up with another Mali artist Toumani Diabate. I think Taj Mahal's work is actually superior to Cooder's mainly because he injects himself more into the CD. Nonetheless, I would recommend this CD to anyone who wants to hear where American Blues music really came from, or for anyone who is ready for something a little different. It's a great CD overall.
Rating:
5 Heard "Diaraby " on The World on NPR...
Everytime, they asked the geo quiz I just simply could never concentrate on the question being asked and just simply melt away in the most romantic back ground music. Very nice!!
Rating:
5 Simply Sensual
I first heard the track Ai Du while watching the movie Unfaithful. When I heard this song, I immediately went on a wild search looking for this music. It was like my soul yearned to hear it again. Needless to say, this song is my favorite part of the movie. The entire CD has a senusal, raw jazz/blues feel to it. Highly recommended.
Rating:
5 Unbelievable "Feel Good" Bluesy Music of Mali - The Best
I have 6 or 7 CDs of music from Mali and find myself listening to this one most often. While I love them all --- the combination of musicians: Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder is unbeatable. Track #1 "Bonde" sung in Peul begins with a fantastic guitar introduction by Ali Farka Toure. Each note is drawn out just right to hook the emotions. The congas played by Oumar Toure provides an infectious rhythm. One male voice begins while a chorus responds in rhythmic unity, telling the story of why some women are unsuitable for marriage. Track #2 "Soukara" is sung in the Bambara language ... it has the sound and feeling of music from the Caribbean with a suitable ambient melody. The male vocalist pours his heart out to his lover at night, so say the liner notes. Another favorite track is #5 "Amandral" sung in the Temasheck language. The rhythms and sounds of this desert tribe is familiar. They are unforgetable on the CDs, "Festival in the Desert" and "Radio Tisdas Sessions", both of which are highly recommended. As each guitar note is plucked, the feelings of the listener are hooked. The feelings rise ... ever higher in resonance with the melody and mood expressed on the slide, acoustic and bass guitars, drums, calabash, and congas. Without exaggerating, I feel this CD contains some of the finest guitar playing on the planet. Other favorites are: #6, "Lasidan" (#6) which has a peppy, cheerful and upbeat tempo and #7, "Keito", which has musical elements of India and Pakistan or is it the Meditarranean? Ry Cooder plays the tamboura, Ali Farka Toure plucks and strums the electric guitar. There is a syncopated rhythm played on the congas and calabash. The music of Mali is highly distinct and very appealing. It is the best music from Northern Africa, and to this listener, the best from the whole continent of Africa. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
