Vieux Farka Toure Offers Hope on Mon Pays

With his native Mali in crisis Vieux Farka Toure responded the way he knows best; through music. “I wanted to pay homage to our musical heritage,” said Toure with regards to everything going on in his homeland His new album, Mon Pays, is a living tribute and reminder about the beauty and culture of his homeland.

With gorgeous almost classical guitar work and arrangements that are simply stunning Mon Pays is a record that will leave you breathless and filled with hope. A mixture of traditional vocal works and almost ambient guitar textures Mon Pays is a stunning reminder of how awesome Malian music can be. The instrumentals on this record are as amazing as the sunsets on the cover and as inspiring as Toure himself. Vieux Farka Toure is obviously a gifted musician and Mon Pays is a feast for your ears as his fingers construct and play works of pure genius.

Mon Pays isn't political, isn't controversial, or trying to make a statement. It's a point of reference for what can be and a love letter to the land that Vieux Farka Toure loves. It's filled with optimism, beauty, and hope. Yet, despite the intimate and personal attachment that Toure creates here this is Malian music anyone can enjoy. In a sea of struggle Mon Pays is a positive voice that can never be silenced.

Vieux Farka Toure Can't Keep His Secret

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.