Last Saturday night, Vieux Farka Touré brought a progressively different sound to Crowell Concert Hall. For nearly two and a half hours, the 25-year old Mali native played a confident and dynamic set, continuously bringing a nearly packed audience to its feet. Accompanied by two fellow Malians and two Wesleyan alums, the five-piece band synthesized North African traditions with a fusion of blues, rock, and reggae.
Marking his very first American performance, Vieux entered the stage with a strong assuring smile and, without saying a word, picked up a black electric guitar and began to play. The guitar produced a distinguished electric tone, with traces of both the sitar and mandolin: a sound unlike anything represented in American popular music.
The guitar belonged to Vieux’s father, Ali Farka Touré, a renowned Malian musician who passed away last March. Ali struggled a great deal in becoming a musician, and did not want his son to endure the same hardships. Vieux and Ali Farka Touré both come from noble lineage, and becoming a musician goes against the societal framework that surrounded them. Ali wanted his son to become a soldier, but Vieux discretely pursued his own path. After enrolling in the local arts institute and practicing for many hours behind closed doors, Vieux proved to be worthy successor.
The band’s set contained tracks from Vieux’s self-titled album, set to debut early next week, as well as works composed by both his father and Wesleyan’s own Eric Herman ’05. Herman met Vieux while studying abroad, and returned to Mali after graduating, playing bass in Vieux’s ensemble. His senior thesis was a tribute to Ali Farka Touré.
Herman, a Toronto native, was the band’s voice in translating Vieux’s French on-stage dialogue. The songs were performed in Bambara and, among other things, spoke of the importance of living a moral life. Bambara, the unofficial language of Mali, is the language used in song, with the purpose of directly reaching the Malian people.
The band delivered a well-crafted set, varying tempos, and time signatures to change the energy throughout the venue. On drums and percussion, Tim Keiper ’03 used a variety of instruments to create a gamut of rhythm and sound, at one point even playing three instruments simultaneously, one waving over his head. On second guitar was Mama Sissoko, the oldest member of the band and a seasoned Malian veteran, who played nearly the entire show with a smile. Seckou Touré, Vieux’s little brother, sang backup vocals and played the calabash, a gourd instrument used for percussion. The group’s free flowing form gave Vieux the freedom to improvise and express his voice as both a vocalist and guitarist. After an 11-song set, Vieux returned on stage for a double encore: one ballad, and a higher energy finale to close the show. He invited everyone in attendance to dance and sing along, which was widely received by the audience.
The tour is scheduled to continue in the Northeast and Canada, promoting the debut album and raising awareness for the fight against Malaria. For more information, please visit www.vieuxfarkatoure.com.
Leave a Reply