Vieux Farka Touré

Vieux Farka Touré brings the pulse of the Sahel to The Pearl in Vancouver, BC, on Saturday, September 12, 2026, joined by special guests. A guitarist and singer from Niafunké in northern Mali, he has traced his own line from desert blues and Mandé traditions into a lean, contemporary sound. His playing moves through cyclical riffs, ringing harmonics and open-ended improvisations, locking into grooves that nod to rock and afro‑pop while holding onto the melodic turn of Songhai music. The voice shifts between Malian languages and French, carried by steady rhythms that build patiently rather than rush.

On stage, Touré alternates an electric drive with more stripped passages, opening space for solo flights and tight ensemble dialogue. Recent projects like Les Racines and the collaborative Ali with Khruangbin have sharpened both his acoustic roots and his taste for expansive textures; the live set folds those threads together without fuss. The music favors long lines, interlaced guitar figures and a trance‑leaning momentum that centers interplay over showmanship, with the guests adding color around the core trio feel.