This weekend's live music picks Sep 10, 2009
Luckily, the Malian guitarist-vocalist - son of the fabled Ali Farka Toure - was blessed with the stellar DNA, chops and talent to carve out a reverent yet contemporary style of his own, last found on "Fondo" (Six Degrees). 8 p.m., $20. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Bonnaroo festival gives stage to African acts Jun 16, 2009
The son of the late Malian legend Ali Farka Toure led the crowd in a chant in his native language, only afterward offering the translation: Love is good. . (MSNBC -- Music)
This Week: Arts and entertainment picks Mar 30, 2009
Born in the swamps of Indo-European history, nurtured by classical masters on the continent and brought to maturity in the United States, the guitar has lately found a comfortable home in Africa where artists like Ali Farka Toure, Daby Toure and Oliver Mtukudzi have staked out fresh fret turf. Habib Koit, from Mali, has a sound all his own that draws as much from Indian ragas and flamenco as it does from his Malian roots, and his band Bamada rocks hard. (San Francisco Chronicle)
An old guitar, a new muse for Rokia Traore Feb 13, 2009
With support from kora master Toumani Diabate and the late guitar legend Ali Farka Toure (to whom Traore dedicated "Tchamantche"), she introduced a shimmering, precisely textured sound on her 1998 debut album, "Mouneissa" selling more than 40,000 copies in Europe. Her third album, 2003's "Bowmboi," reached a wider audience, winning the BBC Radio 3 Award for album of the year. (Boston Globe)
