Ali Ibrahim "Farka" Touré was born in 1939 in the village of Kanau, on the banks of the Niger River in Gourma-Rharous Cercle in the northwestern Malian region of Tombouctou. His family moved to the nearby village of Niafunké when he was still an infant. He was the tenth son of his mother but the only one to survive past infancy. "The name I was given was Ali Ibrahim, but it's a custom in Africa to give a child a strange nickname if you have had other children who have died", Touré was quoted as saying in a biography on his Record Label, World Circuit Records. His nickname, "Farka", chosen by his parents, means "donkey", an animal admired for its tenacity and stubbornness: "Let me make one thing clear. I'm the donkey that nobody climbs on!" Ethnically, he was part Songrai, part Fula.
As the first African bluesman to achieve widespread popularity on his home continent, Touré was often known as "the African John Lee Hooker". Musically, the many superpositions of guitars and rhythms in his music were similar to John Lee Hooker's hypnotic blues style. He usually sang in one of several African languages, mostly Songhay, Fulfulde, Tamasheq or Bambara as on his breakthrough album, Ali Farka Touré, which established his reputation in the world music community.
His first North American concert was in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. 1994's Talking Timbuktu, a collaboration with Ry Cooder, sold promisingly well in Western markets, but was followed by a hiatus from releases in America and Europe. He reappeared in 1999 with the release of Niafunké, a more traditional album focusing on African rhythms and beats. Touré was the mentor and uncle of popular Malian musician Afel Bocoum.
Some of Ali Farka Touré's songs and tunes have been used in different programmes, films and documentaries. For instance, his guitar riff on the song "Diaraby", from the album Talking Timbuktu, was selected for the Geo-quiz segment of The World PRI-BBC program, and was retained by popular demand when put to a vote of the listeners. This song is likewise used in 1998 as a soundtrack for the film L'Assedio (Besieged) by the Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. His songs Cinquante six, Goye Kur and Hawa Dolo from the album The Source are also used as a soundtrack in the French film Fin août, début septembre (Late August, Early September) directed in 1998 by Olivier Assayas. The song "Lasidan" was featured in the award winning documentary "Sharkwater" by Rob Stewart.
In 2002 he appeared with Black American blues and reggae performer Corey Harris, on an album called Mississippi to Mali (Rounder Records). Toure and Harris also appeared together in Martin Scorsese's 2003 documentary film Feel Like Going Home, which traced the roots of blues back to its genesis in West Africa. The film was narrated by Harris and features Ali's performances on guitar and njarka.
In 2004 Touré became mayor of Niafunké and spent his own money grading the roads, putting in sewer canals and fuelling a generator that provided the impoverished town with electricity.
In September 2005, he released the album In the Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with Toumani Diabaté, for which he received a second Grammy award. His last album, Savane, was posthumously released in July 2006. It was received with wide acclaim by professionals and fans alike and has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Contemporary World Music Album". The panel of experts from the World Music Chart Europe (WMCE), a chart voted by the leading World Music specialists around Europe, chose Savane as their Album of the Year 2006, with the album topping the chart for three consecutive months (September to November 2006). The album has also been listed as No. 1 in the influential Metacritic's "Best Albums of 2006" poll, and No. 5 in its all-time best reviewed albums. Ali Farka Touré has also been nominated for the BBC Radio 3 awards 2007.
Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 37 on Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
His record label, World Circuit, said that he recorded several tracks with his son, Vieux Farka Touré, for Vieux's debut album which was released in late 2006.
On March 7, 2006, the Ministry of Culture of Mali announced his death at age 66 in Bamako from bone cancer, against which he had been battling for some time.
Cultural references
In the French film The Spanish Apartment (2002), two characters are seen playing air guitar to "Ai Du".
In the movie Unfaithful (2002), Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez slow dance to "Ai Du".
In the French film Irma Vep (1996), Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard ride an old motorcycle down the quay to Touré's song "Soukoura".
In the 2005 travel film Michael Palin: SAHARA, his music is heard in a scene about Nigerian nomads.
The World, a radio show distributed by Public Radio International, uses the song "Diaraby" as the theme to their Geoquiz. The song is a collaboration between Touré and Ry Cooder; the song is featured on their Talking Timbuktu album.
Discography
1976 - Ali Touré Farka (Sonafric 50016-LP)
1976 - Spécial « Biennale du Mali » (Sonafric 50020-LP)
1978 - Biennale (Sonafric 50032-LP)
1979 - Ali Touré Farka (Sonafric 50060-LP)
1980 - Ali Touré dit Farka (Sonafric 50085-LP)
1984 - Ali Farka Touré (Red) (Sonodisc/Esperance 5558)
1988 - Ali Farka Touré (Green) (Sonodisc/Esperance 8448)
1988 - Ali Farka Touré (World Circuit WCD007 / Mango 9826)
1990 - African Blues (Shanachie 65002) (originally released as Ali Farka Touré (Green))
1990 - The River (World Circuit WCD017 / Mango 9897)
1992 - The Source (World Circuit WCD030 / Hannibal 1375) with Taj Mahal
1994 - Talking Timbuktu (World Circuit WCD040 / Hannibal 1381) (with Ry Cooder)
1995 - The Rough Guide to West African Music (World Music Network RGNET-1002) (contributing artist)
1996 - Radio Mali (World Circuit WCD044 / Nonesuch 79569) (remastered selections of original albums from 1975 through 1980)
1999 - Niafunké (World Circuit WCD054 / Hannibal 1443)
2002 - Mississippi to Mali (Rounder B0000DJZA1)(with Corey Harris)
2004 - Red&Green (World Circuit WCD070 / Nonesuch 79882) (remastered original albums from 1984 and 1988)
2005 - In the Heart of the Moon (World Circuit WCD072 / Nonesuch 79920) (with Toumani Diabaté and Ry Cooder)
2006 - Savane (World Circuit WCD075 / Nonesuch 79965)
2010 - Ali and Toumani - (World Circuit/Nonesuch Records) with Toumani Diabaté
Beto
Ali Farka Touré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lay down with an angel
â€~Cause she treat me kind sometimes
Vieni in me, portami via, ali d'oro
Vieni in me
Fammi volare, mio cielo
Siamo l'inganno, portami via
Anima mia, oh mia
I lay down with an angel
I lay down, I lay down thinking
More than I could really say
Stai in me
Continua a volare, ali d'oro
Siamo l'inganno
Baciami il cuore
Anima mia, oh mia
I lay down with an angel
I lay down with an angel
I lay down, I lay down thinking
More than I could really say
Vedo nel sole dei tuoi occhi
Un altro sole cadere
Siamo l'addio e non la fine
Senza ricordi ne' paure
Uh baby, portami via
I lay down with an angel
I lay down, ooh, with an angel
Lay me down, I lay down
I lay down thinking
More than I could really say
I lay down with an angel
I lay down, sweet, with an angel
Lay, I lay down
I lay down thinking
Baby, more than I could really say
Really say
The song "Mali Dje" by Ali Farka Touré tells the story of laying down with an angel who treats him kindly at times. It starts with the repetition of the line, "I lay down with an angel" to emphasize the significance of this experience. The Italian phrases, "Vieni in me, portami via, ali d'oro" and "Fammi volare, mio cielo" which translate to"Come in me, take me away, golden wings" and "Make me fly, my sky" respectively, indicate that he's experiencing a spiritual or transcendental connection with his lover, elevating them both to a higher state of existence.
The line "Siamo l'inganno" in the chorus translates to "We are the deception" which suggests that their connection may not be entirely innocent, but rather a fleeting escape from reality. Later in the song, he sings "Vedo nel sole dei tuoi occhi un altro sole cadere" meaning "I see another sun falling in the sun of your eyes" which further underscores the idea of this being more than a physical connection. The final line, "Siamo l'addio e non la fine, senza ricordi ne' paure" translates to "We are the farewell and not the end, without memories or fears" paints a picture of two individuals who have shared an intense, perhaps temporary experience without attachment or regrets.
Overall, "Mali Dje" is a poetic expression of a spiritual or ephemeral connection between two individuals that leave a lasting impression but without attachment or regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
I lay down with an angel
I slept with a kind-hearted woman
I lay down with an angel
I spent the night with a woman who showed me kindness
â€~Cause she treat me kind sometimes
Because she treated me kind on occasion
Vieni in me, portami via, ali d'oro
Come into me, take me away, golden wings
Vieni in me
Come into me
Fammi volare, mio cielo
Make me fly, my sky
Siamo l'inganno, portami via
We are a deception, take me away
Anima mia, oh mia
My soul, oh mine
Stai in me
Stay in me
Continua a volare, ali d'oro
Continue to fly, golden wings
Baciami il cuore
Kiss me on the heart
Vedo nel sole dei tuoi occhi
I see in the sun of your eyes
Un altro sole cadere
Another sun is falling
Siamo l'addio e non la fine
We are the goodbye and not the end
Senza ricordi ne' paure
Without memories or fears
Uh baby, portami via
Oh baby, take me away
Lay me down, I lay down
Put me down, I laid down
Lay, I lay down
Lay, I laid down
I lay down thinking
I laid down pondering
More than I could really say
More than I could express
I lay down, sweet, with an angel
I laid down, my love, with an angel
Baby, more than I could really say
Darling, more than I could express
Writer(s): ALI TOURE
Contributed by Samantha J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joeamos2629
Grande! Grande! Caspita!
@hansjurgenklein2265
so blue, so good,
@NJAxel
Dats so gud musik I tink so much
@pennyzmerope7844
🦅!!!!!!!!! 😎👈🏽💚