       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
For Ali Farka Touré, taking part in the Folk life Festival was a manner to honour his country. “For my country I’ll do anything, even die”. He adds: “the one who had the privilege to see the spectacle will remember it for long. I show to the Americans the roots of what they call Blues”. The music lovers went from almost every state of the US to see the show of Malian stars, especially Ali Farka Touré. For a lot of them, it was a chance to see the show of the man whose company is researched by all the great bluesman of the world. The show was unique. Even if he doesn’t want to play out of the continent any more, he’s anxious to honour some invitations. It’s the case for international festival of Jazz of Nantes (France) that he must promote next august. For him, “it’s a great honour that a child of Niafunké, a Malian farmer, is invited to promote such an event. No one can refuse such an honour”. He accepted to go Nantes but with his conditions: “I won’t bring a guitar even less make show”, said the legendary outspokenness artist. As a wise philosopher, Ali knows that there is a time to stop. He knows that “honey isn’t sweet in only one mouth. The place must be given to young generation of singer”. He showed the way. And the international carrier of his nephew and heir Afel Bocoum is on the right way. Besides, he brought his nephew with him to the Folk life Festival to give him opportunities of international promotion. But Ali Farka Touré doesn’t want to abandon the youth to itself. He wants to leave them his memories, a reference for posterity. After “Niafunké” (released on 20th June 1999), Ali will produce a new album, “the last”. He said the same for Niafunké which is not any more his musical testament. He definitively rooted the Blues in it historical and cultural setting. He took it from the Mississippi to implant it on the borders of the Djoliba. He put all his talent in this album of 14 tracks which should be released before the end of the year. “Some say it’s a masterpiece. In all case, I put all the assets on my side in order to produce an exceptional album that could be a reference for young generation to enrich their musical experience” said a self-confident Farka. His advice to the young generation is to make a lot of researches because the Mali is full of artistic and cultural potentialities that can bring success almost every where in the world. For him, “one must seek without forgetting himself. He explains that modernisation of traditional music must not lead to the loss of identity. He thinks that the problem is the lack of musicians who can use perfectly modern instruments. We are then obliged to call for occidentals for certain arrangements. It not means that we should distort our precious owning”. To the "Grammy", one can reproach anything except that he had not show the way to preservation of our musical culture. Then, until the release of his new album, he’s consecrating his time to land which is never ingrate. See you, Uncle Ali. When
Mbadenou is a remedy for the Djoliba |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
