Dark
Light

Suggestions

Latest on Music #4

January 13, 2024
2 mins read

Celebrating the life of the original African Bluesman
By Matt Yanchyshyn
Ali Farka Touré, one of the most internationally acclaimed artists in West African music, has died today after a long illness. He was 67.
 
You can read the many obits floating around the web for yourself, but personally his music had a huge influence on me. Way, way before I ever even thought of moving to West Africa – or even out of Canada – I was into Touré’s albums.
 
Talking Timbuktu, Radio Mali and Niafunké were a gateway into the rich world of contemporary African rock and blues, and ultimately helped shape my musical taste for the region.
 
Talking Timbuktu, Niafunke and In The Heart of the Moon remain some of the best West African albums in my collection. Red/Green, The River, The Source and Radio Mali are also on that shelf and get routine play on the African shuffle.
 
If you can believe it I was still in high school when Talking Timbuktu hit Toronto record shops in 1995. At the time I would’ve been rocking to whatever hiphop, pop, etc was cool in the mid-nineties. I’d always been into music a bit out of the norm, but Ali Farka Touré really helped me break-out of the North American sound and explore folk, blues and rock from other countries, notably Mali, Brazil, Senegal and South Africa.
 
I can thank Touré’s albums along with some Nigerian funk compilations I picked-up in the late-nineties for what is now nearly a 10-year obsession with world music, African in particular.
 
Rest in peace, grand Touré.
 
Yanchyshyn is an expert on African music and the Associated Press’ (AP) correspondent in West Africa. He blogs at mattgy.net
 

Ali Farka Toure:Tribute and Podcast

No Comments currently posted | Add Comment

Comment on this Article

Your Name

Please provide your name

Email

Your Comment

//set data for hoidden fields
//transfer();
var viewMode = 1 ;
//============================================================================
//HTML Editor Scripts follow
//============================================================================
function exCom(target,CommandID,status,value)
{
document.getElementById(target).focus();
document.execCommand(CommandID,status,value);
}

function transfer()
{
var HTMLcnt = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_msgDiv1”).innerHTML;
var cnt = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_msgDiv1”).innerText;
var HTMLtarget = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_HTMLtxtMsg”)
var target = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_txtMsg”)

HTMLtarget.value = HTMLcnt;
target.value = cnt;
}

function hidePDIECLayers(f,p)
{
//e.style.display = ‘none’
f.style.display = ‘none’
p.style.display = ‘none’
}

function toggle(e)
{
if (e.style.display == “none”)
{
e.style.display = “”;
}
else
{
e.style.display = “none”;
}
}

function ToggleView()
{
var msgDiv = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_msgDiv1″);
if(viewMode == 1)
{
iHTML = msgDiv.innerHTML;
msgDiv.innerText = iHTML;
//alert(viewMode);
// Hide all controls
Buttons.style.display = ‘none’;
//selFont.style.display = ‘none’;
//selSize.style.display = ‘none’;
msgDiv.focus();

viewMode = 2; // Code
}
else
{
iText = msgDiv.innerText;
msgDiv.innerHTML = iText;

// Show all controls
Buttons.style.display = ‘inline’;
//selFont.style.display = ‘inline’;
//selSize.style.display = ‘inline’;
msgDiv.focus();

viewMode = 1; // WYSIWYG
}
}
function selOn(ctrl)
{
ctrl.style.borderColor = ‘#000000’;
ctrl.style.backgroundColor = ‘#ffffcc’;
ctrl.style.cursor = ‘hand’;
}

function selOff(ctrl)
{
ctrl.style.borderColor = ‘#9BC1DF’;
ctrl.style.backgroundColor = ”;
}

function selDown(ctrl)
{
ctrl.style.backgroundColor = ‘#8492B5’;
}

function selUp(ctrl)
{
ctrl.style.backgroundColor = ‘#B5BED6’;
}

                                                                                                           

Size 1

Size 2

Size 3

Size 4

Size 5

Size 6

Size 7

//give focus to the msgdiv… always otherwise save button will not save content.
var mDiv = document.getElementById(“ctl00_MainContent_txtComment_msgDiv1”);
try
{ mDiv.focus();}
catch(e)
{
//alert(‘Invisible’)
}
//if ( <> ‘none’)
//

  Send to a friend  |

View/Hide Comments (0)   |

  Print

Post Views: 5,309

2,270 Comments

  1. Frst off I would like to say great blog! I had
    a quick question which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
    I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your thoughts
    before writing. I’ve had difficulty clearing my thoughts
    in getting my thoughts out there. I truly do enjoy writing buut it just seems like the first 10
    tto 15 minutes tend to be lost just trying to figyure out how to
    begin. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks! https://Ukrain-Forum.Biz.ua/

    Reply

  3. полное собрание молитв
    матери о сыне солнце плутон в синастрии форум, плутон квадрат солнце синастрия приснилась черепаха в море,
    к чему снятся черепахи много видеть во сне ехать на велосипеде по снегу к чему снится острова во сне

    Reply