Vieux Farka Touré to Perform in New York This Week

Vieux Farka Touré, the renowned Malian guitarist and singer, is set to perform a series of shows in New York this week before he heads to tour Europe for much of the summer.

On Wednesday, April 24, Touré will take the stage at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Long Island’s East End. He’ll follow that with a performance at Brooklyn Bowl on Friday, April 25.

The weekend will see Touré heading upstate for shows in Saratoga Springs and Buffalo, before launching a multi-city European tour. However, he’ll return to the United States for several major festivals, including the Mill Valley Music Festival in Almonte, California, on May 10 and the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, New York, on July 17.

Touré, the son of legendary Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, has carved out his own reputation for blending traditional West African music with blues, rock, and global sounds. He’s often referred to as the “Hendrix of the Sahara.” And his father was often compared to John Lee Hooker for his blues-influenced guitar style.

But Vieux has never forgotten his roots. His most recent album, Ali — a tribute to his father in collaboration with Khruangbin — is available for purchase as a vinyl. The younger Touré’s last solo album, Les Racines, which means “roots,” was also released in 2022.

He has established a recording facility in the Malian capital of Bamako named Studio Ali Farka Touré — in honor of his late father.