Farewell to the Lion of Niafunke

Oh, we will miss Monsieur Ali Farka Toure! I am from Maine in the US, I am a rural boy and not really a musician myself, but I loved!!! the music of this man! A dear friend sent a tape of Talking Timbuktu to me while I was living in Russia from 1996-98. I fell in love with the sound. Even while it was dreadfully cold and living amid the surreal post-communism, the sounds were amazing to me. (Coincidentally, my Russian teacher of two years used to tell me that the "best time of her life" was when she lived and taught Russian for two years in Mail during the cold war.) From 1998-2000 I lived with three returned Peace Corps volunteers (and one Malian) who had lived in Mali for two years. They shared more and I was hooked, not only West African blues, but West Africa.

I will never, ever forgive myself for living in London and missing this performance. Luckily, they made a CD, but it isn't the same.

I never understood his words, but I think I got his message.