Radio Mali

Ali Farka Toure | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 28, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B00001QEOM
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,742 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > World Music > Africa > Mali

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I work with the spirits", December 17, 2000

By 

Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Radio Mali (Audio CD)

The magic of this cd is that it contains Ali's most "traditional African" music. As he says in the liner notes to his cd, NIAFUNKE, for a while his music became Westernized, basically Afro-Pop. Luckily for us, NIAFUNKE and RADIO MALI do not suffer from the Afro-Pop affliction.

This cd is entirely acoustic, as opposed to NIAFUNKE which has him on both acoustic and electric guitars. I want to clear one thing up from the Amazon.com review. The "violin" that is mentioned is the African njarka violin. The njarka is a one-string instrument that is about 9 or 10 inches long. I just don't want anyone thinking of the Western violin. Technically, the njarka is a rather crude instrument but it releases a glorious sound, as if the earth herself is singing. If you ever see Ali in concert (and you really should see him in concert!) you will hear the full emotional power of the njarka in the hands of a master.

Ali is the original musician who translated traditional Malian music to the guitar and then later melded this together with a touch of the blues. He is in great form on this cd. Just by listening you won't know what he is singing about (since he sings in his traditional languages) but this may actually be an advantage. You won't get caught up in analyzing lyrics or stories, you will simply feel him translating his emotions into music.

If you are completely unfamiliar with Ali's music (or any African music at all) then I suggest that NIAFUNKE may be a better choice. It has a bit more of the blues influence than this cd does, and for that reason alone I think it may possibly be a smoother transition into his music for people who are unfamiliar with him. In all honesty though, I'd recommend purchasing both cd's. They show different sides of the same man, are seperated by 2 decades, and both display the full passion and depth of the Malian musical tradition. Ali is an incredible songwriter on both cd's, you don't even need to know specifically what he is singing about to be completely moved by the manner in which he performs his songs.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original Ali Farka Toure, November 19, 2002

By 

nadav haber (jerusalem Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Radio Mali (Audio CD)

This is row music, the most traditional of Farka Toure's recordings. when I first heard him, on "The Source", I too thought of John Lee Hooker. This impression gradually faded on "The River" and completely disappeard when I heard this cd.
Farka Toure is an original, and in this cd there is only one track that may be influenced by the blues, which is Hani (track 7).
The rest of the cd is hauntingly beautiful, and rewards each listening with fresh discoveries. In AFT I found a rare instance where a musician's voice and guitar playing rival each other for beauty and skill, with both coming up as winners.
I agree with those who say this cd is better appreciated after hearing other AFT cd's, or for people who have listened to other Malian musicians. I would also like to draw attention to the beautiful liner notes and to AFT's remarkable story of how he became a musician.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Stuff, May 26, 2005

By 

Douglas H. Watts (Augusta, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radio Mali (Audio CD)

Radio Mali was the first Ali Farka Toure release I had ever bought or heard. At the time I was listening a lot to Blind Lemon Jefferson and found some interesting parallels between the two musicians. I like the dry, intimate, non-produced, straight to the microphone sound of Radio Mali. Like Lemon Jefferson, Ali Farka Toure has a deep, resonant and booming voice that equals or betters his guitar playing. My brother noted that some of the songs are akin to Celtic music in that they are built from a single melody line that is repeated with variations. Simple but subtle. I'd use the word pastoral to describe this music, since it is very relaxed in feel and rhythm. For a guitarist, Radio Mali is an endlessly fascinating (and at times, frustratingly hard) batch of songs to play along with. Like Lemon Jefferson, Toure is an extremely deft fingerpicker who relies on just a few basic chord positions (open C in particular) and independent bass and melody to sketch out a very full arrangement with just six strings. His rhythmic sense, and use of some very offbeat rhythms (most likely traditional Malian rhythms) add a great deal of depth and complexity that rewards repeated listening. I just really like this stuff and am glad it was recorded and is available.