Vieux Farka Toure "Bamako jam" - Part Four

[TalkToTheBody]

I could listen to this all night, awesome

[exeterguitar]

he's not playing full chords as such , just using the low G , D or A to drone and playing fast hammer ons in the malian style , a lot of it is transferred across from the xalam , watch his hands and check out his other vids , chuck in a bit of minor pentatonic blues scale but with a twist on certain notes.

[exeterguitar]

G A D G B E

[Rebelconformist82]

@exeterguitar are you sure?

[exeterguitar]

@Rebelconformist82 Sure as eggs is eggs , don't be afraid to tune that bottom E right up , stick a capo on the 3rd

[Rebelconformist82]

@exeterguitar  ok cheers what chords is he playing open?

[exeterguitar]

@Rebelconformist82  sure as eggs is eggs

[lucygooh]

Simply amazing! excelent!

[sleepytomnc]

I am a blues player from the US. I am just getting into this amzing stuff. Does anyone know what tuning he is using on his guitar. send me a message if you can help me figure this out.

[malifoli]

he is not using a tuning !!!

[koyteSSS]

grande

[T36MEDIA]

Als Vieux Farka Toure begint te spelen vibreert er iets feestelijks. Zijn spel ziet er zo natuurlijk en eenvoudig uit, dat het geniale trekjes krijgt. En zonder zichzelf te laten vastpinnen op welke muziekstijl ook, demonstreert hij de totale vrijheid van 'voelen en doen.' Als muziek maken iets met bezieling te maken heeft, zie je hier de ultieme synergie.

[gg0u613d]

really encouraging that music is staying rooted within Africa whilst be availible for consumption by the rest of the world. really need to preserve and protect this great gift

[doctorpep1]

I'm trying to find the roots of Country Blues in West African music, but I do not know if a "pure" West African music remains. In other words, how can I tell if notes, chords, scales, etc., are West African or are a result of colonialization/West African influence? I'm not a musicologist, so I admit my ignorance. Can someone point me in the direction of a video of West African music that is not influenced by European music or, for that matter, Blues, Jazz or Rock guitar playing from America?

[doctorpep1]

That should read "colonialization/European influence". Thanks, guys.

[doctorpep1]

Im just trying to connect the dots, but in this age of globalization, I wonder fi its possible to hear West African music as it would have existed before the arrival of the Europeans, and compare it to early Country Blues. I understand how Otha Turners Fife & Drum tradition relates to West African music, but what about Country Blues? The guitar playing in this video sounds more like James Blood Ulmer to me, than Charley Patton. Puzzling! haha

[doctorpep1]

Sorry again! That should read "if it's".

[iArsalan]

You should go to Mali and see the music played for yourself. You won't find much in the way of books or documentaries about the music of Mali because the French did everything in their power to marginalize the culture.

Vieux is playing just like his father just at a faster pace and with electric rather than acoustic. Listen to how he plays the drone beat under his improvisation. This style is peculiar to Mali and American Blues.

The Kora, Makele ngoni, and ngoni, are all played in that way.

[iArsalan]

Furthermore, Ali Farka himself gave a great wealth of information in his interviews. His first album was simply traditional Songhai and Fulani songs played on the guitar rather than traditional African lutes on which he first learned to play.

If you listen to Oumou Sangare, who is Fulani and from a completely different tradition (Wasulu in southern Mali), you'll hear the exact same riffs and style as Vieux is playing here.

Mali has a wealth of music and great musicians, mostly unknown.

[bolelove12]

Thank you for your comments, and thank you for staying calm while being informative. I love Ali, and I was born in Ethiopia. I too play the guitar, things I have seen my bigger brothers play and some my own, i can relate to Farka, are you form Mali? It's my dream to go there one day. Some West Africans say that I am 'Peul' (:

[iArsalan]

I'm not from Mali but father's ancestry is Nubian and Songhai. Mother may be Puel but her heritage is so mixed it's impossible to be certain. My brothers all came out very black like my father, I used to envy them for that.

I've spent time in Mali learning Kora although I regret I didn't get there in time to see Ali Farka before he passed on. If you want to hear some bad ass guitar players, go to Mali and listen more than you speak and watch more than you play.

=)

[bolelove12]

Thanx for the info bro! I shall go to Mali....

[TheBrowndawg]

sir, reading your comment makes me wonder would a white westerner be made welcome in mali? in my opinion colour should make no difference but i would understand if the locals would be wary of an outsider coming to learn about their culture, particularly their music. any feedback would be appreciated.

[iArsalan]

If that's the impression I gave then I apologize. Malians are among the most honest, gracious, and inviting people upon the Earth. In my time there, I saw many "white westerners" mostly there for the music festivals and some there to learn various instruments.

They haven't had the history of "whites" taking their music and making money off of it while ignoring their contributions as has been the case with Africans in the Americas. So the suspicion and resentment isn't present.

[TheBrowndawg]

no that certainly wasnt the impression you gave, i just wasnt sure how receptive malians would be to westerners as there are many countries in the world where westerners are not held in very high esteem (sometimes for good reasons). thank you for the reply, i'll have to put mali high on my list of places to see. cheers.

[ordinateurpgm]

@iArsalan WestAfrica is unknown. Mali, Niger, Burkina was full of hope and smile.

Nigerian Touereg gives an young happyness. /watch?v=fzWBow0OAeA

[throbule]

Why don't you just listen and enjoy instead of analysing great music? Vieux Farka Toure is as near as you can get to real and original African music and if you want more, listen to his father, Ali Farka Toure.....Peace

[emadkay1]

bravo Vaux. You do music as is;not for money, real enjoyment.

[Connectopress]

Check out - Ali Farka Toure for even better stuff. Thanks for posting this wicked video.

[DJEMBE43]

croe q es impresionante!!!!!!!

[joimpanne]

Great Great Great - Africa is the cradle of modern music

Greatings from Germany

[gnomebottom]

Can anyone tell us what tuning Mr. Toure is using? ;)

[MauriceFlower]

I agree with jipes! This is just so goooood!!! Amazing! It sounds like two guitars playing. Yes, the blues. Fresh. Potent. Happy!

[Jochum1988]

Awsome!!!!

[jipes]

Beautiful music in the respect of the tradition like his father did for so many decades, it's great to hear the spirit of Ali Farka going on !

[200yankadi]

go mali go v farka toure be like you dad

hi rise the flag mali are you read

[abidjan1968]

great! j'aime bocoup. j'ai toujours rêvé joué la guitarre!

[krejzimicz]

great music full of real pleasure of playing

[meredumais]

He was incredible. The only of 11 kids to survive childhood; escaped internal African slavery; served as mayor of a town in Mali (Niafunke, maybe?) If you like this, you should buy 'Savane'- his last - and go backwards from there.

Thank you !

[felicer]

is vieux mandeng?

[VraiDiouf]

He is Songhai like his father. Maybe part Fula

[aphabibi]

my life became rich-thank you

[silverbullit733]

Thnaks for posting this rare and great stuff! What beautiful music!

[1peoplesun]

from the father to the son

its so special x

[smith1887]

he makes it look as easy as tying his shoes. very nice

[Leadingnorth]

I loved all of these videos!!

[absami]

thank you very much, i used to start my day with this video, and so my son. god bless you!

[absami]

this the god of music!