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Niafunke
 
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Niafunke

Ali Farka ToureMP3 Download
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Price: £7.49
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  Song Title Time Price    
Play   1. Ali's Here 3:17 £0.69
Play   2. Allah Uya 4:31 £0.69
Play   3. Mali Dje 5:41 £0.69
Play   4. Saukare 2:51 £0.69
Play   5. Hilly Yoro 3:39 £0.69
Play   6. Tulumba 5:22 £0.69
Play   7. Instrumental 4:13 £0.69
Play   8. Asco 5:49 £0.69
Play   9. Jangali Famata 3:23 £0.69
Play 10. Howkouna. 5:59 £0.69
Play 11. Cousins 4:19 £0.69
Play 12. Pieter Botha 3:20 £0.69
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Mali's blues legend 3 Sep 2003
By Mr. C. W. Smith VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
This is the first new recording from Toure in five years and it has been well worth the wait, recorded in his Malian hometown of Niafunke, situated on the banks of the Niger at the edge of the Sahara, this is a rewarding trawl through the ages and genres of African music, you can feel the heat and taste the dust in every one of the twelve superlative tracks. Those of you who loved his recording with Ry Cooder (Talking Timbuktu on World Circuit) will not be disappointed.

Toure has, perhaps unfairly, been compared to John Lee Hooker and it is true that both men share a shimmering intensity in their solo playing, both are easily the most dominant voice in a group context and neither has real respect to the regimentation of a song, it’s as long or as short as it happens to be, but where Hooker is angular, rattling line after line of sparse menacing notes, Toure seems to glide, his tone brighter, with less distortion than his American counterpart, it is the light to Hooker’s dark.

The CD’s opening track ‘Ali’s Here’ is possibly the most Hooker like in the repeating lines but the comparison ends as the Arabian sounding drums enter setting the stage for the chant like vocal that declares Toure’s gratitude and thanks to his people.
The joyful praising of God in ‘Allah Uya’ and the majestic simplicity of the slowly simmering ‘Mali Dje’ where Toure pleads for Mali to educate it’s young for the future follow.

I’ve put a summery track by track, but no review will do real justice to this very, very fine recording

‘Saukare’ see’s Toure playing the Njarka Violin on a beautiful ballad that he says he learnt in 1946 at a wedding.
‘Hilly Yoro’ see’s the return of one of Toure’s trademark licks in a song about co-operation and stability.
‘Tulumba’ has a traditional Malian rhythm dancing guitar figures and a political message.
‘Instrumental’ seems to be a free guitar piece rather reminiscent of John Fahey.
‘ASCO’ another breathtaking ballad dedicated to the musicians Toure has worked with over the years.
‘Jangali Famata’ Once again has Toure on the Njarka Violin in a quick tempo plea for the right of education.
‘Howkouna’ slows the pace for a call and response Malian style.
‘Cousins’ a lovely acoustic guitar workout dedicated to the people he grew up with.
‘Pieter Botha’ inspired by the end of apartheid and played spontaneously.

Overall this, as I’ve already said, is a great set of recordings and if you only have 1 African blues recording in your collection this is as good as it gets.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
amazing talent 23 July 2004
By Zamby
Format:Audio CD
This album has a great feel to it. Recorded in a minimal studio, with mostly acoustic backing (except for Toure's incredible guitar work), it is African "blues" at its best. Only, where the blues is about coming home to your shack with a hangover and finding your best friend with your wife, this source-of-the-blues music is more often about traditional values and unchanging virtues. Amazing enough, and then you read his offhand remark that the last track was improvised on the spot. The man is unbelievable.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Bob Salter TOP 50 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
This happens to be one of my most cherished CDs. Listening to the haunting and beautiful music from "The King of the Desert 'Blues' Singers" Ali Farka Toure you realise what a sad loss he is to the world of music. How tragic that his life was cut so short when he was at the peak of his powers. One of my deep regrets was missing him performing live in London shortly before his death.

I must be honest here and say I only have two of his CDs. This one and "Savane". Niafunke is a remote village on the river Niger in Mali where Toure was born and lived. He even recorded "Niafunke" in this village. Of the two CDs I find "Niafunke" the stronger. It has no discernible weak points and has two particularly powerful songs in Tulumba and Cousins. All his music gives off a heady scent of the desert.

Aside from visiting a museum about the Sahara in Marrakech, listening to Toure is about as close to that great desert as I am likely to get. It must have been a wonderful experience to hear the great man singing for the pleasure of himself and his friends in his desert home. That is how his very special musical gift would be best enjoyed. "Savane" was Toure's last work, and I willed it to be his best. This was not to be. "Niafunke" stands as a beautiful memory of this man and his home on the edge of the great ocean of sand.
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