Vieux Farka Touré

Vieux Farka Touré lands at Upstairs in Victoria, BC on Friday, September 11, 2026, for a night centered on his fluid guitar lines and grounded grooves. Raised in Niafunké in northern Mali and the son of the late Ali Farka Touré, he has shaped a sound where Sahelian melodies, circular riffs and open‑ended improvisations meet rock accents and an Afro‑pop pulse. Since his self‑titled debut in 2006 through Fondo and The Secret, he’s balanced electric drive with more acoustic, voice‑and‑guitar moments, a path he kept exploring on Mon Pays, Touristes and Samba. More recently, Les Racines marked a clear return to traditional forms, while Ali, recorded with Khruangbin, opened a new dialogue around his father’s repertoire.

On stage, Touré stretches themes into rolling, trance‑leaning rhythms, letting the groove breathe while voice and guitar trade phrases in Malian languages and French. The set moves between tight songs and open passages, with special guests stepping in to broaden the conversation.