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Niafunké

 
Album Review: Niafunké
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Niafunké

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  • Artist: Ali Farka Touré
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: June 22, 1999
  • Total Time: 51:45
  • Genre: World

Review

Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure's music has always managed global travel with ease and musical grace, shrinking the miles between Western Africa and the Mississippi Delta and seemingly visiting every city in between. Toure has received his share of accolades for blurring the lines between his contemporary/traditional fingerpicking style and "country blues." Toure has routinely collaborated with musicians from other cultures and musical genres, most notably the prolific and internationally influenced Ry Cooder on their widely acclaimed 1994 album Talking Timbuktu. He establishes a firm aesthetic residence on Niafunké, his first and most welcome CD in five years. Niafunké was recorded using a state-of-the-art portable studio in Toure's home village of Niafunke, which clearly lends a decisive authentic flavor and sense of musical place to the disc. Each tune is a lithe and resonant labyrinth of call-and-response patterns: a fingerpicked guitar speaks to a one-stringed njarka fiddle, calabash pummelings weave into those of the conga drums, and a lively small chorus answers Toure's authoritative lead vocals. A couple of the best cuts include "Ali's Here" and "Saukare." A beautifully rendered and intoxicating record. ~ Becky Byrkit, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Ali's Here Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (3:13)
Allah Uya Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (4:28)
Mali Dje Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (5:37)
Saukare Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (2:47)
Hilly Yoro Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (3:36)
Tulumba Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (5:20)
Instumental Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (4:10)
ASCO Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (5:45)
Jangali Famata Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (3:20)
Howkouna Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (5:55)
Cousins Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (4:14)
Pieter Botha Ali Farka Touré Ali Farka Touré (3:20)

Credits

Nick Gold (Liner Notes), Ali Farka Touré (Liner Notes), Ali Farka Touré (Njarka Fiddle), Afel Bocoum (Vocals), Fatoumata Traore (Vocals (Background)), Jerry Boys (Mastering), Souleye Kane (Djembe), Tom Leader (Mastering), Ali Farka Touré (Vocals), Hamidou Sare (Vocals (Background)), Ali Farka Touré (Guitar (Electric)), Yves Wernert (Assistant Engineer), Nick Robbins (Engineer), Nick Gold (Producer), Ali Farka Touré (Percussion), Djeneba Traoré (Vocals (Background)), Djeneba Doukoure (Vocals (Background)), Jerry Boys (Engineer), Jerry Boys (Mixing), Thomas Dorn (Photography), Afel Bocoum (Guitar (Acoustic)), Voro Cisse (Njarka Fiddle), Simon Burwell (Mixing), Ali Farka Touré (Guitar (Acoustic))
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Wikipedia: Niafunké (album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Niafunké
Studio album by Ali Farka Touré
Released 1999
Recorded Jerry Boys
Length 52:24
Label World Circuit Music (PRS)
Producer Nick Gold
Professional reviews
Ali Farka Touré chronology
Radio Mali
(1996)		 Niafunké
(1999)		 Red&Green
(2004)

Niafunké is an album by Ali Farka Touré, released in 1999. The title reflects the name of the village in Mali where it was recorded. As the album It is largely a traditional album concerning Mali.

Within the CD pamphlet Touré discusses his motivation for creating the album and how the music might relate to its audience. Touré states, "This record is more real, more authentic. It was recorded in the place where the music belongs - deep Mali. We were in the middle of the landscape which inspired the music and that in turn inspired myself and the musicians. My music is about where I come from and our way of life and it is full of important messages for Africans. In the West perhaps this music is just entertainment and I don't expect people to understand. But I hope some might take the time to listen and learn." [2]

Niafunké marks the first of a series of albums he recorded towards the end of his career in his home town. The album was released around the same time he retired to his farm in a remote region of Mali.[3][4]

Tack List

# Title Vocals Length
1. "Ali's Here"   Hammer Sankare 3:13
2. "Allah Uya"   Hammer Sankare, Djeneba Doukoure, Fatoumata Traore, Hamidou Sare 4:28
3. "Mali Dje"   Hammer Sankare, Djeneba Doukoure, Fatoumata Traore, Hamidou Sare 5:37
4. "Saukare"   Djeneba Doukoure, Fatoumata Traore, Hamidou Sare 2:47
5. "Hilly Yoro"   Affel Bocoum, Hammer Sankare, Oumar Toure 3:36
6. "Tulumba"   Hammer Sankare 5:20
7. "Instrumental"     4:10
8. "ASCO"   Oumar Toure 5:45
9. "Howkouna"   Ali Farka Touré, Hammer Sankare, Affel Bocoum, Oumar Toure 5:55
10. "Cousins"   Hammer Sankare, Djeneba Doukoure, Fatoumata Traore, Hamidou Sare 4:14
11. "Pieter Botha"   Oumar Toure 3:20

References

  1. ^ Byrkit, Becky. "Review: Niafunké". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gpfwxqqkldse. Retrieved 10 November 2009. 
  2. ^ Ali Farka Touré (1999) (Compact Disc), Niafunké, USA: Rykodisc 
  3. ^ "Ali Farka Toure: Morning Edition". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1057561. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 
  4. ^ Pareles, Jon. "Obituaries: Ali Farka Touré, Malian celebrated for his music". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/arts/07iht-obits-5825647.html. Retrieved 12 November 2009. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Learn More
Niafunké (1999 Album by Ali Farka Touré)
Vieux Farka Touré (World Artist, 2000s)
In the Heart of the Moon (2005 Album by Ali Farka Touré/Toumani Diabate)

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