Album Review: Les Racines by Vieux Farka Touré

Malian guitar maestro goes back to his roots, showcasing gorgeous playing that bears exquisite fruit In the film Best In Show, Parker Posey's highly strung lawyer character is desperately trying to replace a dog toy shaped like a bee. A hapless pet shop worker tries to suggest a fish, a parrot or a bear in a bee costume, and faces a full on adult tantrum for explaining that, although we know those toys are not bees, "the dog will respond to the stripes". Often when faced with an album like this, a Western Anglophone might feel like that dog: without a knowledge of the language(s) used and only an imperfect grasp of the musical traditions within which the performers are working, all we have left are responses to the colours and textures.

Full Review >>