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Salute to Ali Farka Touré
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Taj Mahal Zanzibar
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Toumani Diabaté Toumani
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Vieux Farka Touré Diaraby Magni
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artist personnel
Taj Mahal Taj Mahal vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboard Bill Rich bass Kester Smith drums Vieux Farka Touré Vieux Farka Touré vocals, guitar Aly Magassa rhythm guitar, backing vocals Mamadou Sidibé bass Souleymane Kané djembé, calabash, backing vocals Tim Keiper drums, percussion Toumani Diabaté Toumani Diabaté kora Samba Touré guitar, vocals Fantamady Diabaté guitar Mohamed Koita bass Fodé Kouyaté drums, calabash Lassana Diabaté balafón Ganda Tounkara ngoni
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Taj Mahal
Toumani Diabaté
Vieux Farka Touré saturday, october 23, 8PM Paramount Theatre
25| 40| 55| 75 Premium seat map buy tickets

The blues meets Africa in this incredible collaboration, showing their common lineage.

Taj Mahal is a hugely influential blues and roots musician, but one with artistic interests that stretch into a variety of musics from the U.S., West Africa, Latin America, Europe, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Mahal’s most recent Heads Up release, Maestro, is a starstudded celebration of his more than 40-year career, yet he is still very much in his prime.

Toumani Diabaté hails from Mali and went into his father’s business: he is a renowned kora player and the son of Sidiki Diabaté, famed for his kora work as well. Collaborating with artists from Bela Fleck to Björk and Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabaté is the hottest and most visionary kora player of our times.

Vieux Farka Touré is the son of the great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré. While certainly following in his father’s footsteps, Vieux is a monster guitarist in his own right with influences far beyond their homeland. Mixing traditional Malian songs and the sounds of ancient Africa with blues and rock, Touré creates world music for the 21st century.

All three of the musicians on this amazing triple-bill at times worked with Ali Farka Touré and the show is dedicated to his everlasting spirit.

“Taj Mahal began as a blues interpreter, but has since encompassed… a general tendency toward experimentation and assimilation.” The New Rolling Stone Record Guide "Watching Diabaté play is not unlike watching someone weave, with the results as beautiful as an intricate tapestry.” Pitchfork "Vieux Farka Touré is forging his own identity… with a rocker's joyful audacity.” The New York Times