Ali Farka Toure a well known guitarist from Mali died a few months ago. Here is a clipping from one of his albums - he is playing electric guitar.
It sounds pretty much like brindava saranga and the vocals sound on the lines of monks singing hymns in the himalayas
http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?mediaURL ... diaType=WM
simply wonderful listening
African Blues and Indian Music
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vasanthakokilam
- Posts: 10958
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01
Thanks Shanks. That is very wonderful to listen to.
NPR has a regular feature called "afro pop worldwise". That is a great program produced by PRI ( Public Radio International ). Ali Farka Toure is featured commonly in that program since he had worked with a few American Blues guitarists. I have heard Ali say that American Blues has its origins from Mali and western african music. And one can hear that easily in his music and other Mali performers. And the origin of the various 'modes' in blues can be attributed to the intermingling of African and middle eastern music.
Given that 50s-70s Rock owes its origins to the blues from the american south, one can connect the musical lineage dots.
Afro pop worldwide has a great audio site... here is a link from there that has a lot of music from Mali and some commentary by none other than Bonnie Raitt, a blues legend herself.
http://www.afropop.org/radio/program_stream/ID/18/ai/1
NPR has a regular feature called "afro pop worldwise". That is a great program produced by PRI ( Public Radio International ). Ali Farka Toure is featured commonly in that program since he had worked with a few American Blues guitarists. I have heard Ali say that American Blues has its origins from Mali and western african music. And one can hear that easily in his music and other Mali performers. And the origin of the various 'modes' in blues can be attributed to the intermingling of African and middle eastern music.
Given that 50s-70s Rock owes its origins to the blues from the american south, one can connect the musical lineage dots.
Afro pop worldwide has a great audio site... here is a link from there that has a lot of music from Mali and some commentary by none other than Bonnie Raitt, a blues legend herself.
http://www.afropop.org/radio/program_stream/ID/18/ai/1
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srini_pichumani
- Posts: 78
- Joined: 24 May 2006, 11:29
Ali Farke Toure was a great musician... I got a classic CD of his titled "The Source" about 10 years ago and was mesmerized by the Brindavana Saranga base for most of the melodies... have played it for several visiting Carnatic musicians.
Vocals seem quite straightforward -- didn't see much resemblance to The Gyoto Monks Choir or anything like that.
-Srini.
Vocals seem quite straightforward -- didn't see much resemblance to The Gyoto Monks Choir or anything like that.
-Srini.
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Im A Skal Man
- Posts: 25
- Joined: 11 May 2007, 07:12
Ali Farka Toure was an amazing musician. He has since passed on the torch to his son, Vieux Farka Toure. There is a good French Documentary on Ali Called "A visit to Ali Farka Toure" Very insightful. My favorite album is called "Talking TImkuktu", which was a collaboration with Ry Cooder, a famous American guitar player who later organized the Buena Vista Social Club recordings and played with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
I can't comment specifically on the comparisaons between CM an Malian scales, but one definately heasrs intervals common to both which do not appear in western music.
Rythmically, they both rely heavily on six beat cycles. African music often ovelays and plays around with 3 beat and 4 beat cycles simultaneously. Do CM drummers do this as well?
More generally, for me, Carnatic, Malian and American blues have great appeal because they are very soulful musical forms. There is a cry out to the divine, yearning for romance, release from the hardships of life as well as a celebration of life. They also all seem to have developed highly complicated systems within simple structures.
I can't comment specifically on the comparisaons between CM an Malian scales, but one definately heasrs intervals common to both which do not appear in western music.
Rythmically, they both rely heavily on six beat cycles. African music often ovelays and plays around with 3 beat and 4 beat cycles simultaneously. Do CM drummers do this as well?
More generally, for me, Carnatic, Malian and American blues have great appeal because they are very soulful musical forms. There is a cry out to the divine, yearning for romance, release from the hardships of life as well as a celebration of life. They also all seem to have developed highly complicated systems within simple structures.
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prashant
- Posts: 1658
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:01
Ali Farka Toure was an amazing musician. I'm reproducing some liner notes he wrote for his CD with the kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate "In the heart of the Moon" [highly, highly, highly recommended!!!].
What he writes is so universal, so simple and so beautiful. It goes through my mind every time I see Sanjay or TMK come up with a concert out of their spontaneous brilliance, when I watch old video of DKJ singing looking way up at God in the sky, when I hear RK Srikantan sing with child-like abandon, and when Semmangudi weaves his magic from a hissy, time-worn tape. We're really blessed to have music in our lives...
"I am Arma and Toumani is a Griot. I am from the Songrai/Peul culture in the North and he is a Mande from the South. It's rare that musicians meet like this from different traditions. But there is something that unites us and it is art and culture, which have no borders. We both work towards the same goal, for the same things, therefore colour is not an issue. And musical differences are not an issue. This did not start yesterday, whether you are Tamaschek, Peul, Hassaniya, Songhat or Sonrai. You are Malian, wherever you make your bed. You are still Malian.
I don't need to rehearse with Toumani. I never rehearse when it comes to music, because the inspiration will come to me at the right moment. I know what I am doing. I know what I want. Music is part of the fabric of my body and makes the spirit grow. Sincerely, music quenches the thirst in my heart. It is my gift, my gift of knowledge. It is the same for Toumani: he is a phenomenon of African culture. The Kora is born with Toumani. There is no competition between us. No hate, no jealousy. You cannot be jealous of God and of what he gives. And with his instrument, Toumani is able to do whatever he wants. We never talked about the repertoire. We don't need to plan ahead, we didn't improvise. It's perfectly normal that I know this material. First it was his father who told me about it. I know Toumani understands. For me, this African culture is part of the fabric of my life, of my inspiration and intelligence. This recording is a natural wish we all share.
These are songs which belong to a repertoire that goes back to a very artistically fertile period, the 50s and 60s. A time between the end of colonisation and the birth of the independence, a very important period, and I am very proud of it. This album was made in order to share our knowledge with the new generation, to bring this period back to life and show the significance of this time and the opportunities we had.
If you know something and don't want to share it, then you are selfish. You came after someone, and someone else with come after you. You can't learn the entire sea by heart, no. This is why God created waves in the river and in the sea. Some leave, and some come. I met Keita Fodiba in 1956 when he was playing this music and he was my inspiration to pick up the guitar. Everyone needs to participate in making sure our culture is healthy. In helping preserve our heritage. And today in Mali, in Bamako, we are working so very hard to fight against the way the third world is being plundered. And I hope that we will succeed."
What he writes is so universal, so simple and so beautiful. It goes through my mind every time I see Sanjay or TMK come up with a concert out of their spontaneous brilliance, when I watch old video of DKJ singing looking way up at God in the sky, when I hear RK Srikantan sing with child-like abandon, and when Semmangudi weaves his magic from a hissy, time-worn tape. We're really blessed to have music in our lives...
"I am Arma and Toumani is a Griot. I am from the Songrai/Peul culture in the North and he is a Mande from the South. It's rare that musicians meet like this from different traditions. But there is something that unites us and it is art and culture, which have no borders. We both work towards the same goal, for the same things, therefore colour is not an issue. And musical differences are not an issue. This did not start yesterday, whether you are Tamaschek, Peul, Hassaniya, Songhat or Sonrai. You are Malian, wherever you make your bed. You are still Malian.
I don't need to rehearse with Toumani. I never rehearse when it comes to music, because the inspiration will come to me at the right moment. I know what I am doing. I know what I want. Music is part of the fabric of my body and makes the spirit grow. Sincerely, music quenches the thirst in my heart. It is my gift, my gift of knowledge. It is the same for Toumani: he is a phenomenon of African culture. The Kora is born with Toumani. There is no competition between us. No hate, no jealousy. You cannot be jealous of God and of what he gives. And with his instrument, Toumani is able to do whatever he wants. We never talked about the repertoire. We don't need to plan ahead, we didn't improvise. It's perfectly normal that I know this material. First it was his father who told me about it. I know Toumani understands. For me, this African culture is part of the fabric of my life, of my inspiration and intelligence. This recording is a natural wish we all share.
These are songs which belong to a repertoire that goes back to a very artistically fertile period, the 50s and 60s. A time between the end of colonisation and the birth of the independence, a very important period, and I am very proud of it. This album was made in order to share our knowledge with the new generation, to bring this period back to life and show the significance of this time and the opportunities we had.
If you know something and don't want to share it, then you are selfish. You came after someone, and someone else with come after you. You can't learn the entire sea by heart, no. This is why God created waves in the river and in the sea. Some leave, and some come. I met Keita Fodiba in 1956 when he was playing this music and he was my inspiration to pick up the guitar. Everyone needs to participate in making sure our culture is healthy. In helping preserve our heritage. And today in Mali, in Bamako, we are working so very hard to fight against the way the third world is being plundered. And I hope that we will succeed."
Last edited by prashant on 13 May 2007, 12:02, edited 1 time in total.