Touré onstage with Mamadou Sidibe, who’s laying down a groove
with his Samick Corsair 4-string. Photo by Daniel Boud
You have a deep connection to
blues music. Do you remember
when you first became
interested in it?
I can’t say, since I feel like it
was before I can remember. I
grew up listening to my father’s
music, so it’s in my blood and
my soul. I don’t consider it an
interest as much as an expression
of who I am in my soul.
Did any other Western artists
significantly influence you?
Yes, Phil Collins and Bryan
Adams. They write beautiful
melodies. I have always appreciated
that since I was a child.
As a musician, what were your
early years in Mali like?
I started playing guitar when
I was 20 at the Arts Institute
in Bamako [capital of Mali].
During that time, I kept my
playing a secret and basically
taught myself. I was afraid to let
people know that I was doing
it. As the son of the best guitarist
in the history of Mali, I
needed to be careful. Eventually,
people started finding out and
I began to play in Toumani
Diabaté’s band. Toumani was
my mentor and turned me into
a professional.
Touré usually plugs his go-to Godin into a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus. Photo by Derek Beres
Your right-hand technique
is unique. Is that something
that developed naturally or
did someone teach you that?
It developed naturally. It’s simply
the guitar style from the
north of Mali. I use only two
fingers—and really all that people
usually hear is one finger, the
one that is doing the soloing.
Did you have any other formal
musical training?
I had played percussion
since I was a child. Growing
up in Niafunké [in north-central
Mali], I played behind
both my father and Afel
Bocoum. But I had no training
on guitar until I joined
Toumani’s band.
The title track of this album is
a duet between you and your
father. What was it like growing
up as the son of a legendary
guitarist?
Growing up, I didn’t know
he was a legend or even a big
star until I traveled with him
to Paris. I was 10 or 11 years
old and it was amazing to see
the huge crowd revering him.
I always knew that I was very
fortunate to have him as a
father. He was everything to
me. He still is.
How did his music influence you?
I don’t consider it an influence.
It is a base. You don’t
think how the meat influences
a hamburger, or how the broth
influences the soup—that
is the base, and then other
things can come on top and
influence it.
Touré plucks away on a Mexican-made Strat while in the studio. Photo by Trevor Traynor
Vieux Farka Touré's
Gearbox
Guitars
Godin Summit CT, ’90s
Mexican-made Fender
Stratocaster,
Taylor GS8
Amps
Roland JC-120, 1968 Fender
Super Reverb
Effects
Boss CH-1 Super Chorus,
Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive
Strings
D’Addario .010–.047 sets