It's a good thing Ali Farka Toure didn't pay his parents no mind.
See, the colorful bluesman from the West African nation of Mali was born
into a noble family and hence wasn't permitted to take up music 'cause his
folks considered it beneath his dignity.
The boy went ahead and played.
And 5,000 Torontonians were happier for it last night.
Sans guitar histrionics, cliched posturing, lasers and mammoth video
screens, Toure eked out sublime, hypnotic sounds from his weathered axe at
Harboufront's Molson Place and left us spellbound.
I almost forgot to mention he didn't sing in English, introduced his songs
in French, and occasionally exclaimed, "Are you happy?", a question which,
predictably, drew the loudest response.
All of which hints at our enthusiastic embrace of "world music." No one,
except for the African expatriates in the crowd, knew what Farka was singing
about. But we didn't feel left out. It was one of those occasions when the
hoary cliche - "music's a universal language" - rang loud and clear.
Toure - joined by Alpha Sankare tapping away on a large gourd with little
sticks, Oumar Toure on congas, and acoustic guitarist Mousa Kone -
simultaneously transported us to his village in Mali and to a Mississippi
delta blues joint.
Infectious African rhythms swung beautifully with the blues while Toure
told us stories in his trademark nasal, lonesome voice.
Those who have Toure's exquisiteTalking Timbuktu, his collaborative effort
with slide guitarist Ry Cooder that bagged a Grammy this year, relished
hearing the live renditions. After all, this gig was a make-up for last year's
highly anticipated appearance by the two at the waterfront.
Listening to Toure's blues, it's no wonder folks call him Africa's answer
to the legendary John Lee Hooker. Few bluesmen extract such expressive tones
from their axes and few in their audience can decipher what they're saying.
Don't articulate this comparison to Toure, though. When he was introduced
to Hooker's music in the late '60s, he thought Hooker was playing Malian music
and said, "It was taken from here."
To this day, the 56-year-old Toure remains convinced American blues has its
roots in the traditional music of Mali.
Last night, Ali Farka Toure didn't once express this belief. His
intoxicating music did the job.
SUN RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
