Vieux Farka Touré

Vieux Farka Touré isn’t called the Hendrix of the Sahara for no reason. With his virtuoso guitar playing, both danceable and mesmerizing, he turns any stage into a sweltering hot desert. And on May 25, it’s Grounds’ turn again!

Being the son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, the musical blood naturally runs through Vieux Farka Touré’s veins. The path was thus paved to follow the same road as his father, yet Vieux Farka Touré took a different direction, steadily building his own musical identity. But like other Malian musicians like Samba Touré and Bassekou Kouyaté, Vieux Farka Touré also takes on the important task of conveying Mali’s culture and traditions to a wider audience. His album Mon Pays (2013), for instance, was a serene ode to the splendour of his homeland. And in 2022, he returned to the roots of traditional Songhai music with his album Les Racines.

That same year, he and Khruangbin also revisited his father’s oeuvre on the album Ali. This was noticed by Elton John, who called it one of the best albums of the year. So come to Grounds and be amazed by Vieux Farka Touré’s magical journey, where tradition and innovation harmoniously blend together.