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
Diaraby
Ali Farka Touré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quelle il a da du may de fait
Carilla gara mis
Quelle il a da du may de fait
I parlait ca canna farooma
Or Fentait le fait la du le fait de fait
Carilla car canna farooma
Qui farlait car canna farooma
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Ikka natta may
Ikka nucca si
I canna mi-ngo
Jerard vie camow
Ik a natta may
Ik a nucca si
Eecan-na mi. ngo
Jerard vie casow
Mon Carilla gara may
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Mon Carilla ma cheri
Mu Quelle il a da du may de fait
I parlait car canna farooma
Fentait le fait la du may de fait
I caree la car canna farooma
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
I narlait car canna farooma
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
I parlait car canna farooma
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Ikka natta may
Ikka nucca si
I canna mingo
Jerard vie casow
Ikka natta meay
Ikka nucca si
I canna mingo
Jerard vie camow
Mon Carilla gara vie
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Mon Carilla gara vay
Mu Quelle il a da du may de fait
Mon Carilla gara vie
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Mon Carilla ma cheri
Mu Quelle il a da du may de fait
I nalait car canna farooma
Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Itait i la car canna farooma
Or fentait les fait la du may le fait
Ikka natta may
Ikka nucca si
I canna mi- i
Jerard vie camow
Ikka natta may
Ikka nucca si
I canna mingo
Jerard vie casow
Mon Carilla gara day
Mu Quelle il a da du quay le fait
Mon Carilla ma cheri
In Quelle il a da du may le fait
The lyrics of Diaraby have been translated from the Bambara language, one of the many languages spoken in Mali. The song is about a man named Carilla, who is in love with a woman, and the difficulties he faces in communicating his love with her. The opening lines, "Carilla gara dis, Quelle il a da du may de fait, Carilla gara mis, Quelle il a da du may de fait," roughly translate to, "Carilla is standing here, telling her what he feels, Carilla goes there, telling her what he feels." The repetition emphasizes the desperation of Carilla's attempts to communicate his love, as if he is trying to find the right words to say to the woman he loves.
The lyrics also speak to the idea of miscommunication and misunderstanding, with lines like "I parlait ca canna farooma, Or Fentait le fait la du le fait de fait," which translate to "He talks about this, he doesn't understand what he's saying." This suggests that Carilla is struggling to articulate his feelings, and may not fully understand them himself. However, in the chorus, where the lyric "Ikka natta may, Ikka nucca si" is repeated, the sentiment remains consistent: Carilla wants to express his love and be understood.
Line by Line Meaning
Carilla gara dis
Carilla stands there
Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Carilla gara mis
Carilla stands here
Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
I parlait ca canna farooma
He talks about things that are hard to understand
Or Fentait le fait la du le fait de fait
And tries to make sense of it all
Carilla car canna farooma
Carilla talks about things that are hard to understand
Or Fentait le fait la du may de fait
And tries to make sense of it all
Qui farlait car canna farooma
Whoever talks about things that are hard to understand
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Tries to make sense of it all
Ikka natta may
I stay here
Ikka nucca si
I wait here
I canna mi-ngo
I want to go away
Jerard vie camow
But I have no place to go
Ik a natta may
I am staying here
Ik a nucca si
I am waiting here
Eecan-na mi. ngo
I want to run away
Jerard vie casow
But I have nowhere to run
Mon Carilla gara may
My Carilla stands there
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Mon Carilla ma cheri
My beloved Carilla stands here
Mu Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
I parlait car canna farooma
He talks about things that are hard to understand
Fentait le fait la du may de fait
And tries to make sense of it all
I caree la car canna farooma
He worries about the things he talks about
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Trying to make sense of it all
I narlait car canna farooma
He complains about the things he talks about
Or Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Trying to make sense of it all
I parlait car canna farooma
He talks about things that are hard to understand
Or Fentait le fait la du may de fait
Trying to make sense of it all
I nalait car canna farooma
He walks away from the things he talks about
Fentait le fait la du may le fait
Trying to make sense of it all
Itait i la car canna farooma
He comes back to the things he talks about
Or fentait les fait la du may le fait
Trying to make sense of it all
Ikka natta may
I stay here
Ikka nucca si
I wait here
I canna mi- i
I feel like running away
Jerard vie camow
But I have no place to go
Ikka natta may
I stay here
Ikka nucca si
I wait here
I canna mingo
I want to leave
Jerard vie casow
But I have nowhere to go
Mon Carilla gara vie
My Carilla stands here
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Mon Carilla gara vay
My Carilla goes there
Mu Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Mon Carilla gara vie
My Carilla stands here
Mon Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Mon Carilla ma cheri
My beloved Carilla
In Quelle il a da du may de fait
Wondering about what's going on
Writer(s): Ali Toure
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Bluesman2509
Arguably one of the greatest blues pieces in the modern era
@michealtomelloso3912
l agree,took me along time to finally find ,because the the first time l heard it was on the movie Abouna(Our Father),Fantastic Song.
@arushasmusic8523
Agree !!
@MoGumboFukUTubeForChngngMyName
Super cool awesome piece of music… but inarguably not one of the top 1000 greatest blues pieces in the modern era. It’s traditional Malian African Songhay drone.
Just because Ry Cooper breaks out his slide and sits in with the band, doesn’t make it blues… neither do the monikers “African Blues” or “Desert Blues.”
Very cool great music, but a completely different genre.
@user-zr3ro3cn2y
This song got it the blues me
@saludosalsol
I saw his son play this live! I almost died it was so good.
@wilyfebbs9241
This song is so awesome , that I’m getting goosebumps all over my skin , this is what African blues is all about.
@nomadicphilosopher3110
3 years late but kin I feel it
@dennisratemo9710
Good Music. Anyone listening 2020
@stevegilbert5484
Bought it when it first came out. played it ever since.