Vieux Farka Touré

Now bearing the nickname Vieux, he was born Boureima Farka Touré in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Toure, who died in 2006.
Ali Farka Touré came from a historical tribe of soldiers, and defied his parents in becoming a musician. When Vieux was in his teens, he declared that he also wanted to be a musician. His father wasn't in favour of this due to the pressures he had experienced being a musician. Rather, he wanted Vieux to honor his lineage and become a soldier. But with help from family friend the kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, Vieux convinced his father to give him his blessing to become a musician.
Vieux was initially a drummer / calabash player, but secretly enrolled in Mali's Institut National des Arts to study guitar in 1999. He also studied traditional music with Toumani Diabaté, among others.
Ali Farka Touré was weakened with cancer when Vieux announced that he was going to record an album. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with him, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux's debut CD, were amongst his final ones. It has been said that the senior Touré played rough mixes of these songs when people visited him in his final days, at peace with, and proud of, his son's talent as a musician.
In 2005, Eric Herman (still Vieux's manager) of Modiba Productions expressed an interest in producing an album for Vieux; to do so, he had to get permission from Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté, and other community elders. This led to Vieux's self-titled debut album, released by World Village in 2007. Ali Farka Touré's work to tackle the problem of malaria is continued as 10% of proceeds are donated to Bee Sago, a UNICEF-affiliated organisation, as part of Modiba's "Fight Malaria" campaign in Niafunké. On this first album, Vieux pays homage to his father and follows

Ali's musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues. The album features Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father. Other unique instruments that can be heard on the album are the Guinea flute, the njarka (a traditional spike fiddle), n'goni and kourignan (scraper). One of the tracks, 'Courage', is on the soundtrack of the film The First Grader (2010).
UFOs Over Bamako is a collection of dance and trance remixes ofVieux Farka Touré.
On his second record, Fondo on Six Degrees (2009), Vieux branched out and presented his own sound: while remaining true to the roots of his father's music he uses elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences.
In June 2010, Vieux performed at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That month Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE.
In 2011 Vieux released his 3rd studio album, The Secret, so named because the listener will hear the secret of the blues with a blend of generations from father to son. It was produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of the Soulive trio) and features South African-born vocalist Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar and jazz guitarist John Scofield. The title track is the last collaboration between Vieux and his late father.
Over the last few years Vieux has been giving concerts, performing in major festivals including WOMAD, and touring constantly.
Find out more by visiting www.vieuxfarkatoure.com