This emotional debut by the son of African music legend Ali Farka Touré includes two tracks recorded with his father, who died last year. The album makes for a great story. Ali didn't want Vieux to become a musician. He wanted his son to avoid the hardships he had endured. But Vieux secretly pursued his passion and ultimately defied his father to attend music school. Their collaboration here signals Ali's ultimate acceptance of the path his son chose.
The album makes for great music, too. It is rich in African blues, punctuated throughout with reflective guitar. Vieux Farka Toure is a passing of the torch too good to be true, except that it is.
