Malian Blues Master

Having spoken in an earlier posting about Ali Farka Touré and his life, I won’t dwell too much on his life.  Towards the end of his life he and Toumani Diabate were working on a trilogy of albums that were dubbed the Hôtel Mandé Sessions for being recorded at the Hôtel Mandé in June and July 2004.  The first album from the sessions, In the Heart of the Moon, received a Grammy for Best Traditional World Album.  That album isn’t listed on Metacritic, but given its accolades I would imagine that it would have been given a high score and would have made the list.  As such, it is not, but I will investigate getting a copy.

The second record from the sessions, Boulevard de I’Indépendance, was released by Toumani Diabate and also was critically hailed as a masterpiece (another one to investigate).  The final record from those sessions, Savane, would be released shortly after Touré’s passing from bone cancer.  He had given his blessing on the final master, and the album was released by the awesome Nonesuch Records in 2006.  Savane is the topic of this entry.

# 5 – Ali Farka Touré, Savane (Metascore = 94)

Touré himself proclaimed this album as his best prior to his death.  He was extremely proud of the results, and the music reflects his belief.  Touré worked with a wide range of musicians during the session, several of which were non-African blues musicians.  Unlike Ali & Toumani, this record blends traditional Malian music with the blues of the Mississippi.  I would not be surprised if Bob Dylan ever attempted to try to recreate this music; it sounds right up his alley.

“Erdi” opens the album sounding straight from Delta, with Little George Sueref providing a straight-out-of-Muddy-Waters harmonica to the song.  Throughout his life Touré tried to take the music of his homeland and fuse it with other genres he encountered along his journey.  This album has a pulse to it that emanates from the best blues records.  “Yer Bounda Fara” also resonates with this Delta blues-via-Mali sound.  “Savane”, on the other hand, has a reggae sound to it.  To me “Savane” sounds like Touré took “Slave Driver” from the Bob Marley songbook and adapted it to his style.

Listening through this record, you can understand Touré’s optimism.  When he sings, he sings with a strength befitting of a blues legend such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker or Howlin’ Wolf.  The performances are fantastic, and the decision to mix and match players works extremely well, particularly in how each song can take on a different musical personality.  While traditional Malian music serves as the strong foundation, the fusion of blues, reggae, and chant makes this a diverse record.  I only wish I spoke the language of the lyrics he sings; I’m sure the lyrics are as original blues as of those I previously mentioned.

Savane is a fantastic record to hear.  I would say that if you want to start a journey into listening to world music, start here.  This is a great crossover for those jumping from Western-influenced music to the sounds of Africa and beyond.