Cabdi Cabdullaahi Maxamed ("Shiikh Cabdi") sadly passed away a few weeks ago in Denmark, where he's been ill for sometime. He started his career with the band Nalkad in Mogadishu in 1973. After a short stint with Bakaaka in Kismaayo, a port city in the South of Somalia, he joined Iftin in 1977 and played on many of their albums till the onset of the civil war in 1991. With the death of Shiikh Cabdi, Somali music has lost a self-taught, talented, versatile, innovative and intuitive guitarist and a warm, engaging and friendly personality. A.U.N../R.I.P.!
I've quite a few Iftin tapes on which Shiikh Cabdi has played lead but the sound quality has, unfortunately, disintegrated. Here is a compilation of tracks which have slightly or reasonably defied the warped static teeth and the wrath of the times.
1. Xuduud Ma leh Xubigaan
2. Wacad Beena Ma Roonee
3. Hab Isii
4. Cantar iyo Ceebla
5. Naf Jacayl Haleelay
6. Ma Hurdee Habeenkii
7. Ul iyo Diirkeed
8. Xubi Xoog Magalee
9. Dalxiis
10. Xariir
The tracks above and the rest of the 23 tracks can be downnloaded here.
PS. I've just added the two live tracks below. They are only individually downloadable.
Daaadba Daadkii Ka Ween Waa La Duulaa (Live)
Shukri I Shumi Shooblow Ka Shiix (Live)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Peace!
I'm delighted that attempts are being made to restore peace in Mali. The Dutch musician Laurens Joensen has embarked on a fantastic journey to support Malian musicians through benefit concerts, collecting guitars and other instruments which will be donated to the artists and a documentary featuring Malian musicians. The crowdfunded documentary is called Music for Mali and you can contribute here.
For background info. about the conflict in Mali and how culture and specially music(ians) have been affected, Freemuse has just published an extensive report written by Andy Morgan. The 64-page report can be downloaded here.
Speaking of peace, a couple of friends have recently returned to Somalia where the saints of doom are being dompted. The track below is for them as well as for anyone anywhere who is in a similar precarious situation.
Kooxda Halgan_Badbaado Guri Hooyo (1978) ("Safe Home")
And this one is whole-midfing-heartedly dedicated to the warlords in Somalia and everywhere else:
Horseed_Gabbalaa Iisoo Garguurtee (197x) ("Sunset Is Crawling To Me")
For background info. about the conflict in Mali and how culture and specially music(ians) have been affected, Freemuse has just published an extensive report written by Andy Morgan. The 64-page report can be downloaded here.
Speaking of peace, a couple of friends have recently returned to Somalia where the saints of doom are being dompted. The track below is for them as well as for anyone anywhere who is in a similar precarious situation.
Kooxda Halgan_Badbaado Guri Hooyo (1978) ("Safe Home")
And this one is whole-midfing-heartedly dedicated to the warlords in Somalia and everywhere else:
Horseed_Gabbalaa Iisoo Garguurtee (197x) ("Sunset Is Crawling To Me")
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Mixtape? No, Just An Ante-Up Anti-Tape
I can't manage to find the time to compile the mixtape I sort of promised here ages ago and time will be in even much shorter supply in the near future. As an attempt to redeem the 'debt', I share as is a mid-eighties cassette by Libaaxyada Maaweeliska Banaadir (Banaadir Entertainment Lions).
LMB was a popular theater troupe founded in the late 70s/early 80s by a group of veteran artists and fledgeling talents. The project was intended to integrate young and old, tradition and modernity - a sort of Scorsese/Levin's "Godfathers and Sons" avant la lettre... but here with the Godmothers and Daughters, too. Besides entertainment, LMB's main goal revolved around the preservation and dissemination of the performng arts heritage of Banaadir, the region comprising Mogadishu and its immediate surroundings. In their alas ephemeral existence, they produced about a dozen plays which were highly appreciated nationwide.
Content
This tape carries the soundtrack of the mid-80s play "Xiddigtii Is Xujeysay" ("The Self-Denouncing Star"). In that period, drama productions were staged in theaters and open stadia, and spread on VHS. The play/film scores were, however, rarely released apart on tape. Given the sonic flaws, this k7 is probably a bootleg recorded live outdoors by an audience member - Somalia's nr.1 hobby at the time... so to speakEngaged tragi-comedy
Vocalists
All the tracks are sung or poetically recited by Axmed Naaji Sacad, Maxamed Cabdow Saalim and mainly Faadumo Qaasim, a brightly shining star since the 60s who sadly passed away last year. R.I.P !Music
For each play LMB toured with a different orchestra, almost always consisting of traditional and modern instrumentalists. The musical direction of this piece was in the hands of the aforementioned multitalented Axmed Naaji Sacad whose great 70s band "Shareero" is playing the lead role.The modern instruments are up front and I, for one, would be contented with less Hohner organ and more roars by the local instruments. The music and singing are, however, often based on the notes of time-honoured traditional poetry, dance and music genres.
In addition to the readily recognizable modern instruments, anyone who is familiar with Somali culture will also frequently detect in this tape and get tingled - from head to heels - by an impressive array of currently neglected traditional instruments.
Although sparsely used and often overwhelmed by the electric instruments, some local lions are still holding their own. Particularly the reeme (roaring drum), shagal (metal hoe-blades), shunuuf (vegetable ankle rattles), shambal (wooden clappers), malkad (flute) and sumaari (double clarinet) casually manage to swing to the forefront. These precious and endangered instruments are setting the pace by generating distinct rhythms and melodies (see genres under the tracks) to send a call to a group of colourfully clad folk dancers who respond with graciously intoxicating and sinuously serpentine movements... gently enticing the spectators (occasionally including Yours Truly) to the dance floor.
Those were the days...!
01. Soo Xarakoo ("Strut Out In Style")
- Summary: Put on your best suit, concot your magic elixir and present your (love)case
- Genre: Batar/Botor
02. Adaan Milkigaa Ahee ("I Am All Yours") - Double entendre: (Denunciation of) Total submission to a spellbinding "suitor"
- Genre: Wiglo
03. Abidkaay Ammaan Ma Sheegin ("I Never Dish Out [Unjustified] Praise Words")
- Vocalists and instrumentalists exchange compliments while subtly emphasizing that gratuitous praise of the undeserving is nothing but self-deprecation
- Genre: Sharax, Saylici
04. Naga Tag! Kac! Hooyaa? ("Get Lost! Rise Up! Got It?") - Leaves no room for imagination: The gun salvos, funeral processions, public rage... were in mid-80s Somalia not yet pervasive but they're already an essential and gruesome part of the tyrannical policies and histrionics
- Genre: Geblo shimbir
05. Diinle Kabiiroow ("Diinle, The Great") - Disappointment in and fury towards the clique that usurps the key to your love/life/rights and a complaint about the chief and his entourage who are greedy, pompous, unreasonable, unjust... and don't listen to the wise elders
- Genre: Kabeebey
- Video
06. Hab I Soo Dheh ("Jump Into My Arms") - The tragedy of unrequited love: He's hopelessly in love and she's diligently rejecting him
- Genre: Walasaqo
07. Haan Iyo Haruubkeed ("Water Container and Its Cover / Milk Vessel and Its Lid) - United we stand! The lovebirds are tired of waiting for the blessing of the self-appointed "chargés d'affaires" and take matters into their own hands
- Genre: Dhaanto
08. Waa Habeenkii Dhalashadaadee ("It's Your Birthnight") - Happy with the decision they made in the last track and the rebirth of their freedom
- Genre: Saddexley
09. Kun Qof Iiga Roonoow ("More Valuable Than Thousand Persons")
- Boundless love.
- Genre: Niiko
10. Sabraayaa Sedkii Hela ("Patience Pays Off")
- Those who are made for each other (lovers, people and their sovereignty...) always find each other. The two halves become One, no matter how long it takes
- Genre: Hirwo
Enjoy! NB. Adjusted the track order on basis of the lyrics.
PS. I'm not an expert and it's quite possible that my recognition of the multitude of Somali genres is, in some cases, off beat. Many genres ressemble each other and some are as deceptively similar as identical twins. Moreover, besides the traditional instruments I mentioned, I recognize others one can hear after careful listening. But I'm quite sure I miss a few others. For example, I can't remember/find the name of the fantastic balafon/vibraphone on mainly tracks 8 and 9. I'd appreciate any corrections and additional info.
PPS. I've the impression a couple of tracks are missing. Anyone?
PPPS. This entry is also published by the seminal African music blog "Likembe" where you can find more on Somali music.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Durdur Goes International
Awesome Tapes From Africa (ATFA) is planning to release the Somali band Durdur's Volume 5 on February 5, 2013. ATFA offers the following track from the album:
On this occasion, I'd like to let Durdur speak for themselves by sharing the two tracks below. They come from a 25-year-old tape that fought/survived many battles - hence the scarred sonic quality. But the music is imo good and the main reason why I uploaded them lies in the titles.
Durdur_Degdeg ("Hie Thee")
AND
Durdur_Raaxayso ("Enjoy")
On this occasion, I'd like to let Durdur speak for themselves by sharing the two tracks below. They come from a 25-year-old tape that fought/survived many battles - hence the scarred sonic quality. But the music is imo good and the main reason why I uploaded them lies in the titles.
Durdur_Degdeg ("Hie Thee")
AND
Durdur_Raaxayso ("Enjoy")
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
A Monument Has Fallen
A biologist by training, Gaarriye was a highly respected poet. His numerous poems deal with a wide variety of topics -contrasting simple daily life to a complex form of life beyond/after death, decadent wealth to abject poverty, all-engulfing war to ever-lasting peace, mankind's ugliness to nature's beauty, oppression to resistance, democracy to dictatorship.... and many things in-between.
As Martin Orwin of the the University of London's SOAS puts it: "His language is characteristically striking: with images ranging from the delicacy of a butterfly feeding on a freshly bloomed flower, to the force of likening a poem to a bomb which explodes inside the listener or reader, and all of this is set within a carefully structured flow of language that uses syntax, alliteration and metre creatively".
Gaarriye's poetry is consistently highly conscious, politically and socially, and his engagement with national, African and international issues had led to the banning of his works by dictatorial regimes in Somalia, Saudi-Arabia, Ethiopia (and possibly South Africa, Zimbabwe... ) where he's marked as an "enemy of the state"!
 |
| Poetry of freedom and human rights |
This obituary by the Poetry Translation Centre speaks for itself. PTC has translated a few of Garriye's poems into English. Here is "Aadmi" (literally meaning "Humanity") taking head on the volatile human vanity and its nihility in front of Mother Nature.
Arrogance
Wandered brood of Adam,
lost, bewildered people,
hear what I have to say.
Stop for a moment before the mountains
and for the simple sake of awe
be humbled, let your tears fall.
Look to, look through the air above,
be moved by the sight of stars,
watch their bodies wheel.
Ask the thunder, see what lightning says,
the rain-bearing wind which blows
the good grey cloud, ask them.
The camel's old keen for her calf,
be hushed and hear it, hear how
the birds' song weeps with it: weep with them too.
How the sea sounds out its old chorus,
what moves in its abyssal womb:
acknowledge these and what they mean.
Examine the earth at your feet,
the rush of the rivers,
raise your eyes to the clouds.
Glimpse what lies above
the auroral mist, the winds,
understand what these things have to say.
The scent of wild acacia -
inhale it, relish it, and
delight in the green of pastures.
Count up the lineage of all life,
mark the endless days and days:
this worthless arrogance of yours,
you have to let it go.
All nebulae and galaxies,
the Camel of the Southern Cross,
our own burning sun, who said these
were lit for humankind?
Before a man was made in this world
didn't Virgo blaze above?
Aren't all those gatherings of stars
far older than us?
Since when was their high light
kindled only for you?
Exactly when do you think the heavens
were told to carry out the order
‘Confine yourselves to the human race'?
If you simply ceased to be
wouldn't their light continue?
Wouldn't it be then as it is now?
Wandered brood of Adam,
your bluster is a lie.
You shared this womb with all
wild things that roam,
all roots that flourish,
you entered this world together.
All creation is your cousin,
each creature your equal
and you share an ancestor:
all living things are to you
as stick is to bark, bark to stick.
You and they are like two eyes -
when one sheds tears
the other weeps.
They were not made for you alone,
nor were they created to serve.
Of everything which is, half is secret -
however things appear
the meaning is always deeper.
 | |||
| With Martin Orwin who translated some of his poems |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Africa-Unite
Several visitors requested by mail/comment more of the music I'd sampled here. As I stated in a comment:
"I've many old Somali cassettes but the quality has unfortunately deteriorated; all the more that I've left them in the cellar for more than a decade. Not much I'd like to put up here but I may upload a mixtape sometime in the future. It'll probably take a long time as I've to go through the tapes for palatable sound quality.
Sorry, I don't want to uplaod Chewata's albums as they're easily available. Follow the link in the post orgoogle, Ecosiaze / Znout ( green search engines) the record titles. I'll upload AU IF it's out of print".
Africa-Unite's self-titled album seems out of print. So, here it is :
Tracks
01 Yowm Yewolaye
02 Hamamagi
03 Enegenagnalen
04 Adrop
05 Al Harouf
06 Arada
07 Gedawo
08 Asotriba
09 Dance Medley: Boladada/Dero Dero Ya/Osiilala
10 Saoui Al Jabana
11 Ajmal Alhilwin
12 Shiwishiw
13 Omdurman
"I've many old Somali cassettes but the quality has unfortunately deteriorated; all the more that I've left them in the cellar for more than a decade. Not much I'd like to put up here but I may upload a mixtape sometime in the future. It'll probably take a long time as I've to go through the tapes for palatable sound quality.
Sorry, I don't want to uplaod Chewata's albums as they're easily available. Follow the link in the post or
Africa-Unite's self-titled album seems out of print. So, here it is :
Tracks
01 Yowm Yewolaye
02 Hamamagi
03 Enegenagnalen
04 Adrop
05 Al Harouf
06 Arada
07 Gedawo
08 Asotriba
09 Dance Medley: Boladada/Dero Dero Ya/Osiilala
10 Saoui Al Jabana
11 Ajmal Alhilwin
12 Shiwishiw
13 Omdurman
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Ali Farka Touré
I'm listening to new albums, including Vieux Farka Touré's latest record. Vieux is definitely a great artist in his own right. I can't help, though, that my mind wanders to his father who (almost) single-handedly changed the course of my life.
I wrote the tribute below in 2007 on my page on last.fm. I left that so-called social network when they decided everybody, except residents of the 3 richest countries in the world, would have to pay for the radio! Impeccable logica for a site that owes it's very existence to global internet users! This is my last activity there; I'm the deleted commenter.
To my surprise, the tribute was reproduced by several sites ... with credits and all! It now seems it's nowhere to be found. Reason why I'm reposting it here verbatim, with minor adjustments.
----------
Tribute to Ali Farka Touré
This is my very first journal entry, though I've been using last.fm since 2005. For reasons you may understand at the end of this piece, it's dedicated to Ali Farka Touré.
In 1980, I was travelling to Mogadishu - the capital of Somalia - to start studying Chemical Engineering. We stopped to satisfy our howling bellies. Instead of savouring the delicious food, my whole attention was captivated by a soulful tune oozing from a fragile recorder on the counter (track 1). Nobody present knew the name of the maestro but the owner of the restaurant was, apparently, impressed by my enthusiasm. Upon departure, she gave me a tape saying something like "...and the dessert is free of charge for our enthusiastic youngster..."! This was one of the most valuable presents ever given to me, though I received many, because as it later turned out it was one of Ali Farka Touré's records and he hardly left my players and mind ever since. Heartfelt thanks to that generous lady whose name I've never known!
1. Kadi Kadi (jamming in the tent at the Festival in the Desert, 2003-- with Andy Kershaw of the BBC providing enthusiastic "background vocals")*
Camels, love and music
Ali Farka Touré's music needs no introduction. He is widely recognized and appreciated by fans, fellow musicians and critiics alike. Concerning the musician, let me just limit myself to the following observations:
'Music is, just like her sisterly love, a matter of feeling and sensuality' sings the Somali camel-driver. This is typical of AFT, who composed and performed his music with a lot of love and sensual feeling. His tunes are, furthemore, so intriguingly and delicately interwoven that they have the power to procure the audience with loads of pleasure & wisdom, happiness & grief, trance & spiritual serenity...
These contrasting features in his music make me often feel injected with a lot of joyful physical & mental exercice, hurling or sometimes depositing me gently in, say, an intense 'dance-and-don't-forget-to-think circle'. This is, in my view, one of the the reasons why countless people around the world are touched, moved, thrilled and/or uplifted by his artistic acrobatics, while others are even inspired and influenced by his style.
The master musician is, hence, quite popular and valued. On the other hand, when I read about him it often dawns on me how little is known and sometimes misconceived about other important aspects of his life. This is the primary reason why I've put pen to paper to render my take on another side of AFT's work, while at the same time expressing my admiration for and gratitude to an extraodinary man.
Honey is never sweet...
AFT was, indeed, a giant of a musician. What is lesser known is that he was also a jewel of a man: A passionate and relentless advocate for human rights and environmental protection on individual, local and global levels. His doors were always open for those who sought hospitality. Moreover, instead of settling down in a luxurious villa on the shores of an alluring overseas riviera, he decided to confront the harsh circumstances on the banks of his beloved river - The Niger, an indispensable source of life for Mali and other West African countries. His album "The Source" alludes to this river, though it's frequently purported that the title refers to the African roots of the Blues.
Below, a multidimensional footage containing, among others, images of the river Niger and Ali's district of Niafunké as well as desert blues, the music genre AFT is credited with to have initiated. The title of the first track by Afel Bocoum & Alkibar is ... "Niger" from the album of the same name!
True to his frequently cited quote, namely "honey is never sweet in the mouth of just one person", he literally shared his earnings, pain and pleasure with his people. In track 2, for example, he expresses the necessity of sharing with the needy as well as the primordiality of community building and this mirrors one of the central themes in his lyrics, i.e. working hard for the benefit of all.
2. Ali's Here
In line with this communal attitude, he used his fame and spent almost all his money on local cultural and development projects. Niafunké, where the illiterate (!) Ali was the cherished mayor, is nowadays transformed into a green patch in the middle of the Sahara desert; the district is self-sufficent and the socio-economic situation of the whole region is blooming. During the civil war in Mali he sang, as a token for peace and unity, in about ten local languages and sometimes in three languages in one song; the languages of the tribes who were fighting one another....!
On a broader level, he was dedicated to his own motto: Where there is injustice in the world, music must point it out! In his songs and also at many public occasions, he stood up for those who couldn’t fend for themselves - humans as well as nature (tracks 3 to 6). His lyrics are, accordingly, pregnant with messages of peace & love, respect & decency, self-sufficiency & solidarity, individual freedom & social responsiblity, protection of human rights & defending our endangered and priceless environment!
3. Roucky
4. Keito (Live with Ry Cooder at Edmonton Folk Festival, 1995)
From this perspective, it's crystal clear that Ali was extremely conscious of the problems of our world. As the saying goes, the vantage of wisdom comes with age; this might also be the case with AFT. However, Ali was in my opinion an unusual world citizen right from his early youth; his lyrics from the 70's give many indications of his social awareness. He passed into action as soon as he acquired the necessary means, gradually devlopping into who he later became: A committed activist, an accomplished philanthropist, a magnanimous soul, a charismatic inspirer.
5. Hilly Yoro (Live at Estival Jazz Festival, Lugano in 2000)
6. Tangambara
Wife above Olympic Games
Despite all his fruitful efforts, Ali's humanitarian side is hardly known and is certainly much less famous than his musical alter ego. This is, in my opinion, a deliberate choice. He contributed his fair share and much more anonymously without first ushering TV cameras in... Even when he's solicited, he often declined the invitations. For example, when he was asked to perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney, he thanked for the honour saying that the distance was too long for his age. It’s rumoured he didn’t want to leave his wife, who was sick at the time. As far as I know, he never reacted to this gossip, possibly because he didn’t want to be admired for a natural responsibility; in this case putting his wife above the Olympic Games. A clear sign of deep love and respect that nothing can disturb or hinder, as expressed in track 7!
7. Diaraby (Live in Bremen in 1993)
In another instance, when he's invited to the USA to collect his first Grammy in the 90’s, his reaction was something like: "I don't know what a Grammy is; but if people have a prize for me, they are welcome to bring it here where I was making music before they knew me". He knew very well what A Grammy represented, but he hardly cared about fame or fortune and in his view the award was, anyway, for his people - the custodians of the culture in which his music is deeply rooted... Modesty at it's pinnacle and the essence of greatness!
Humane and humble virtuosity
I saw AFT live four times and I've a couple of precious reminiscences with him. I first attended a concert of his in the late 80's or early 90's and it was, needless to say, a breathtaking and enriching experience. I talked with him at the end of the gig. Although I'd already read about his extraodinary personality, I was still dumbfounded by his friendliness, selflessness and down-to-earth attitude! The 2nd or 3rd time, about 8 years later, he knew exactly who I was and he invited me to his home in Mali!
I've been planning to see him perform in the magic of his own environment, for instance at the Festival in the Desert. Regrettably, it was not to be. Deep in my soul, I somehow expected he'd continue for ages as his music and influence may. I saw him for the last time in 2005 at the Bozar in Brussels, Belgium (track 8). He was dying of bone cancer, but I didn’t even know that he was ill. The concert was marvellous, there was nothing to indicate he was in agony (though he must have been) and, in private, he didn't utter a single word about his hapless misfortune!
8. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté_Debe (Live at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 2005)
Ali Farka Touré died on March 7, 2006. His passing is, obviously, a major loss: Loss of a unique man and artist brimming with virtuosity, wisdom, humility and humanity. This is why I am not surprised that the lords or devils who, so to speak, snatched him away were craving for exclusive concerts by him. The superintelligent analphabet (IQ, EQ and RQ) will be hugely missed!
P.S. In case you're wondering how my chemical engineering adventure ended: Well, I never reached its tails because I switched in the same year to Literature. A professor of African Studies helped me to find out the name of the musician on the tape. Through him, I subsequently discovered that my love and yearning for literature was much more powerful than I initially was aware of.
You see, the fortuitous encounter with AFT in a roadside restaurant in godforsaken Somali desert has played a major and positive role in my life. Thanks to all the deities in all their colours and genders for if I've pursued the chemical path, I might have ended up working for destructive and nefarious companies; such as the weapons industry against which millions of people are fighting today. One of many reasons why I am very grateful and indebted to Ali Farka Touré. A Million thanks, Ali. Requiescat in pace! Allah yarhamak rahmatul jannat al-Firdawsa!
P.P.S. I've recently uploaded a nr. of videos featuring Ali Farka Touré on YouTube. Check them out, if you so wish.
----------
The above-mentioned videos are long gone as my account on YT has been deleted. I'd a few old (Blues) footages there and greedy copyright claimers, who are stubbornly refusing to make the vids available themselves, struck me into closure. Here is an alternative:
 |
| Ali and Vieux |
To my surprise, the tribute was reproduced by several sites ... with credits and all! It now seems it's nowhere to be found. Reason why I'm reposting it here verbatim, with minor adjustments.
----------
Tribute to Ali Farka Touré
This is my very first journal entry, though I've been using last.fm since 2005. For reasons you may understand at the end of this piece, it's dedicated to Ali Farka Touré.
In 1980, I was travelling to Mogadishu - the capital of Somalia - to start studying Chemical Engineering. We stopped to satisfy our howling bellies. Instead of savouring the delicious food, my whole attention was captivated by a soulful tune oozing from a fragile recorder on the counter (track 1). Nobody present knew the name of the maestro but the owner of the restaurant was, apparently, impressed by my enthusiasm. Upon departure, she gave me a tape saying something like "...and the dessert is free of charge for our enthusiastic youngster..."! This was one of the most valuable presents ever given to me, though I received many, because as it later turned out it was one of Ali Farka Touré's records and he hardly left my players and mind ever since. Heartfelt thanks to that generous lady whose name I've never known!
1. Kadi Kadi (jamming in the tent at the Festival in the Desert, 2003-- with Andy Kershaw of the BBC providing enthusiastic "background vocals")*
 |
| Kady Kady |
Camels, love and music
Ali Farka Touré's music needs no introduction. He is widely recognized and appreciated by fans, fellow musicians and critiics alike. Concerning the musician, let me just limit myself to the following observations:
'Music is, just like her sisterly love, a matter of feeling and sensuality' sings the Somali camel-driver. This is typical of AFT, who composed and performed his music with a lot of love and sensual feeling. His tunes are, furthemore, so intriguingly and delicately interwoven that they have the power to procure the audience with loads of pleasure & wisdom, happiness & grief, trance & spiritual serenity...
The master musician is, hence, quite popular and valued. On the other hand, when I read about him it often dawns on me how little is known and sometimes misconceived about other important aspects of his life. This is the primary reason why I've put pen to paper to render my take on another side of AFT's work, while at the same time expressing my admiration for and gratitude to an extraodinary man.
Honey is never sweet...
AFT was, indeed, a giant of a musician. What is lesser known is that he was also a jewel of a man: A passionate and relentless advocate for human rights and environmental protection on individual, local and global levels. His doors were always open for those who sought hospitality. Moreover, instead of settling down in a luxurious villa on the shores of an alluring overseas riviera, he decided to confront the harsh circumstances on the banks of his beloved river - The Niger, an indispensable source of life for Mali and other West African countries. His album "The Source" alludes to this river, though it's frequently purported that the title refers to the African roots of the Blues.
Below, a multidimensional footage containing, among others, images of the river Niger and Ali's district of Niafunké as well as desert blues, the music genre AFT is credited with to have initiated. The title of the first track by Afel Bocoum & Alkibar is ... "Niger" from the album of the same name!
True to his frequently cited quote, namely "honey is never sweet in the mouth of just one person", he literally shared his earnings, pain and pleasure with his people. In track 2, for example, he expresses the necessity of sharing with the needy as well as the primordiality of community building and this mirrors one of the central themes in his lyrics, i.e. working hard for the benefit of all.
2. Ali's Here
In line with this communal attitude, he used his fame and spent almost all his money on local cultural and development projects. Niafunké, where the illiterate (!) Ali was the cherished mayor, is nowadays transformed into a green patch in the middle of the Sahara desert; the district is self-sufficent and the socio-economic situation of the whole region is blooming. During the civil war in Mali he sang, as a token for peace and unity, in about ten local languages and sometimes in three languages in one song; the languages of the tribes who were fighting one another....!
On a broader level, he was dedicated to his own motto: Where there is injustice in the world, music must point it out! In his songs and also at many public occasions, he stood up for those who couldn’t fend for themselves - humans as well as nature (tracks 3 to 6). His lyrics are, accordingly, pregnant with messages of peace & love, respect & decency, self-sufficiency & solidarity, individual freedom & social responsiblity, protection of human rights & defending our endangered and priceless environment!
3. Roucky
4. Keito (Live with Ry Cooder at Edmonton Folk Festival, 1995)
From this perspective, it's crystal clear that Ali was extremely conscious of the problems of our world. As the saying goes, the vantage of wisdom comes with age; this might also be the case with AFT. However, Ali was in my opinion an unusual world citizen right from his early youth; his lyrics from the 70's give many indications of his social awareness. He passed into action as soon as he acquired the necessary means, gradually devlopping into who he later became: A committed activist, an accomplished philanthropist, a magnanimous soul, a charismatic inspirer.
5. Hilly Yoro (Live at Estival Jazz Festival, Lugano in 2000)
6. Tangambara
Wife above Olympic Games
Despite all his fruitful efforts, Ali's humanitarian side is hardly known and is certainly much less famous than his musical alter ego. This is, in my opinion, a deliberate choice. He contributed his fair share and much more anonymously without first ushering TV cameras in... Even when he's solicited, he often declined the invitations. For example, when he was asked to perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney, he thanked for the honour saying that the distance was too long for his age. It’s rumoured he didn’t want to leave his wife, who was sick at the time. As far as I know, he never reacted to this gossip, possibly because he didn’t want to be admired for a natural responsibility; in this case putting his wife above the Olympic Games. A clear sign of deep love and respect that nothing can disturb or hinder, as expressed in track 7!
7. Diaraby (Live in Bremen in 1993)
In another instance, when he's invited to the USA to collect his first Grammy in the 90’s, his reaction was something like: "I don't know what a Grammy is; but if people have a prize for me, they are welcome to bring it here where I was making music before they knew me". He knew very well what A Grammy represented, but he hardly cared about fame or fortune and in his view the award was, anyway, for his people - the custodians of the culture in which his music is deeply rooted... Modesty at it's pinnacle and the essence of greatness!
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| http://fondationalifarkatoure.org/ |
Humane and humble virtuosity
I saw AFT live four times and I've a couple of precious reminiscences with him. I first attended a concert of his in the late 80's or early 90's and it was, needless to say, a breathtaking and enriching experience. I talked with him at the end of the gig. Although I'd already read about his extraodinary personality, I was still dumbfounded by his friendliness, selflessness and down-to-earth attitude! The 2nd or 3rd time, about 8 years later, he knew exactly who I was and he invited me to his home in Mali!
I've been planning to see him perform in the magic of his own environment, for instance at the Festival in the Desert. Regrettably, it was not to be. Deep in my soul, I somehow expected he'd continue for ages as his music and influence may. I saw him for the last time in 2005 at the Bozar in Brussels, Belgium (track 8). He was dying of bone cancer, but I didn’t even know that he was ill. The concert was marvellous, there was nothing to indicate he was in agony (though he must have been) and, in private, he didn't utter a single word about his hapless misfortune!
8. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté_Debe (Live at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 2005)
Ali Farka Touré died on March 7, 2006. His passing is, obviously, a major loss: Loss of a unique man and artist brimming with virtuosity, wisdom, humility and humanity. This is why I am not surprised that the lords or devils who, so to speak, snatched him away were craving for exclusive concerts by him. The superintelligent analphabet (IQ, EQ and RQ) will be hugely missed!
P.S. In case you're wondering how my chemical engineering adventure ended: Well, I never reached its tails because I switched in the same year to Literature. A professor of African Studies helped me to find out the name of the musician on the tape. Through him, I subsequently discovered that my love and yearning for literature was much more powerful than I initially was aware of.
You see, the fortuitous encounter with AFT in a roadside restaurant in godforsaken Somali desert has played a major and positive role in my life. Thanks to all the deities in all their colours and genders for if I've pursued the chemical path, I might have ended up working for destructive and nefarious companies; such as the weapons industry against which millions of people are fighting today. One of many reasons why I am very grateful and indebted to Ali Farka Touré. A Million thanks, Ali. Requiescat in pace! Allah yarhamak rahmatul jannat al-Firdawsa!
P.P.S. I've recently uploaded a nr. of videos featuring Ali Farka Touré on YouTube. Check them out, if you so wish.
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The above-mentioned videos are long gone as my account on YT has been deleted. I'd a few old (Blues) footages there and greedy copyright claimers, who are stubbornly refusing to make the vids available themselves, struck me into closure. Here is an alternative:
Let's finish with a proper musical tribute. It's difficult to choose since artists as varied as Ebo Taylor, Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha, Hank Shizzoe, Afel Bocoum & Alkibar, Mamar Kassey, the Irish poet and scholar David Wheatley (in a 12-page poem!) and many others have paid tribute to AFT. You'd find most of them on the net. The following two tracks come from Toumani Diabaté's tour "Ali Farka Touré Variations".
Toumani Diabaté_Soumbou Ya Ya! (Live at the Barbican, London, 2010)
Toumani Diabaté_Doudou (Live at the Barbican, London, 2010)
* The live tracks are bootlegs, hence the rather shaky sound quality. As you know, though, the CD versions are easily available thanks to World Circuit
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