Fondo

Fondo is a solid album that firmly establishes Vieux Farka Toure's place in a long list of world class Malian musicians. His style is typically Malian and like many of his counterparts, he successfully manages, so seamlessly, to fuse the traditional and modern: From the deep blues of Fafa to the achingly beautiful track Paradise, on which he plays a respectful delicate accompaniment to the legendary Kora of Toumani Diabate. Farka Toure's soft vocals compliment the guitar-led blues style. The legacy of modern blues can be heard in his music and his father's before him. A sound of cultural and historical significance, that sense of history and legacy understandably runs throughout this album. With a reputation in his country for being an amazing live performer, Farka Toure has delivered as an artist in his own right. Equally though, a sense of careful respect for his heritage underpins the entire album. Ali Farka Toure's tutelage can be clearly heard and it's a beautifully touching aspect of what is one of the finest albums to come out of Africa this year.