Vieux Farka Toure's The Secret is an intimate album of Malian music that not only serves as entertainment but a historical and cultural document as well. It's gorgeous stuff that's folk music, but in a traditional Malian sense and sounds nothing like what we call folk. Led by beautiful guitar work and several collaborations from folks like Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, and John Scofield the album winds up being anything but another traditional folk/ world music album.
With both acoustic and electric guitar work taking center stage and the unique vocal styling’s of Toure leading the way the album sounds about as modern and upfront as a world music record can be. With influences coming from the blues and his personal history the album feels like an emotional journey that Toure has undertaken with us in tow. It's deeply moving stuff that penetrates your soul and your mind. The Secret is the sound of family, of deep rooted feelings, and of love and that's why it's so successful at pulling you in. You might not understand a word that Toure says, but you can feel the weight of his words and understand that this record is passionate. That folks is the sign of something special and that's just what The Secret is.
After listening to this album it's easy to say that Vieux Farka Toure is one musical secret worth sharing.
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