Album Review: Vieux Farka Toure by Vieux Farka Touré

Vieux's guitar style is, to be honest, reminiscent of Ali's -- that's to be expected: the son grew up hearing Ali Farka Touré music every day and absorbed it into his blood. But Vieux's exceptional musicianship hints at more -- he's already a masterful player in his own right and he has his ear cocked toward the future, not only the past. He is at once sensitive and soulful but can easily turn it around and unleash a fleet-fingered solo that is so spellbinding you'll find yourself thinking, blasphemous though it may be, that his dad could never do that.

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At first, the idea seems outrageous. It's less than a year since the death of Ali Farka Touré, the most loved guitarist in Africa and the man who recorded the finest African album of last year, and yet his son has already dared to release a solo album of his own. It's a brave move, but he can be excused, because it's very good indeed. Ali Farka Touré was not a griot (a hereditary musician), but Vieux already sounds like his natural heir, with confidence, expertise and a style of his own.

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