Mali's "Hendrix of the Sahara", Vieux Farka Touré returns to Australia with new album 'Les Racines' in tow.

Legendary Malian guitarist, Vieux Farka Touré, along with his band, has announced a full Australian tour in 2023 from February 24 until March 11.

One of the world’s most respected guitarists and musicians, Touré returns to Australia with his full band to perform from his extensive back catalogue and critically acclaimed new LP, ‘Les Racines’, an album which celebrates the universal adage that says ‘to know where you’re going, you must know where you’ve come from.

Vieux spent 2 years making ‘Les Racines’, but the album had been gestating in his mind even longer.

“I’ve had a desire to do a more traditional album for a long, long time. It’s important to me and to Malian people that we stay connected to our roots and our history,” Touré explains. 

‘Les Racines’ (translating as ‘the roots’) represents a deep reconnection with the traditional Songhai music of northern Mali. This is one of the northern West African musical traditions known in the West by the catch-all term ‘Desert Blues’.

Touré’s roots run far deeper than most. His father, the late Ali Farka Touré, acclaimed as the finest guitarist Africa has ever produced, was a pioneer in introducing this style to audiences around the world.

Most recently Touré has expanded his horizons again, having collaborated with the world-renowned Texas trio Khruangbin on the album Ali, which seamlessly melds Vieux’s masterful guitar work and soulful singing with their dubby psychedelia.

Touré’s 2023 Australian tour kicks off in Melbourne on the 24^th of February before heading to Meeniyan in regional Victoria before heading to Hobart, Sydney, Cairns, Sandgate, Canberra and Castlemaine with the tour finishing up at the Port Fairy Folk Festival.

Vieux Farka Touré Australian Tour

Friday 24- February

Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC

Tickets: http://bit.ly/3TNTgUO

Saturday 25- February

Meeniyan Hall, Meeniyan VIC

Tickets: http://bit.ly/3X9xtd8

Sunday 26-February

Hobart – Details announced 28 Nov

Thursday 2- March

Sydney – Details announced 4 Dec

Friday 3- March