Samba Touré

After his incredible show in 2023, renowned Malian guitar legend Samba Touré returns to Grounds! With hypnotic guitar grooves that shine brighter than the desert sun, he creates a unique and groundbreaking sonic landscape, taking us on a journey of emotional depth and rhythmic brilliance where tradition meets innovation.

Samba Touré started his career as the singer of the band Farafina Lolo, where he attracted the attention of the legendary Ali Farka Touré with his exceptional talent. Under his wing, Samba Touré made the switch to more traditional music and grew into one of the most important West African musicians. His debut album Fondo, a 100% traditional Songhoy album, is a great proof of that.

On his new album Baarakelaw, set for release in the fall of 2024, Samba Touré blends traditional music with blues rock, psychedelic elements, ballads and love songs in an incomparable way. The album is an ode to the small traders in Bamako, a group that is often overlooked but oh so crucial to the social cohesion in Mali. In short: music about the common people for the common people. Over the course of his career, Samba has had the pleasure of working with artists such as BB King, Angelique Kidjo, Vieux Farka Touré and Bassekou Kouyaté and has performed at festivals such as Roskilde and Sziget. On February 14th, he will prove at Grounds why he is the new king of desert blues.