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Ali Farka Toure

About this Artist

A 1999 Grammy nominee for Best World Music album (Niafunke), guitarist, vocalist, and composer ALI FARKA TOURE, a Grammy winner in 1995 for Talking Timbuktu, is often described as “the African John Lee Hooker.” With a sweeter, more mellifluous sound than Hooker, Toure came to world music prominence in the 1980s at the age of 50, releasing albums expounding his Malian heritage with songs of education, work, love, and society. For the last few years, he’s been devoting all his time to farming rather than music and this year’s performance at the Hollywood Bowl marks a rare appearance by this internationally successful West African musician.

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