Ali Farka Touré
Ali Farka Touré | |
|---|---|
Touré in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ali Ibrahim Touré |
| Born | 31 October 1939 Timbuktu Region, Mali |
| Origin | Niafunké, Mali |
| Died | 6 March 2006 (aged 66) Bamako, Mali |
| Genres | Blues Malian Folk Folk Desert blues World music |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Cabasa, Njarka |
| Labels | World Circuit |
Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its derivative, African American blues and is considered a pioneer of African desert blues. Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 37 on Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Some years after his death, a group of musicians playing in his style performed as the Ali Farka Touré Allstars (2012), and later the Ali Farka Touré Band (formed 2014).