His album " The Secret" went straight to the top of the European World Music charts, rave reviews in American media and his natural command of the guitar has View Farka Toure dubbed as the African Jimi Hendrix. Tackling the sub zero temperatures outside, Melstar headed off to St Georges Hall in Bristol where Vieux Farka Touré gave a 'heart warming' performance at St Georges in Bristol and got everyone on their feet and dancing down the aisles. Read the full article and catch the vibe. Image (C) Gemma Hall.
Vieux Farka Touré was on form and seemed to play so effortlessly and with such fluidity that it was clear to see why some people have compared him to the late, great Jimi Hendrix. “He's one hell of a guitarist,” said one fan. I'd also bumped into a fan who had missed the end of Vieux's previous set in Birmingham and had travelled all the way to Bristol after a busy shift at hospital just to see Vieux's finale: and he certainly wasn't disappointed.
Photo Image: (c) Daniel Boud
The ease by which Vieux communicated with his guitar was beguiling. Just watching the slick fingering of Vieux's guitar strokes was addictive. Vieux seemed not to command the guitar rather treat it like a friend in conversation. At some point's Vieux would sing and stop to let his guitar continue the phrase. It was all very smooth and inviting. Vieux had also developed a great rapport with fellow musicians on stage, Valesse Assouan on bass and Tim Keiper on percussion. They hadn't worked together long but the interaction, shared looks and smiles of happiness made the performance all the more enjoyable.
The entire gig was tempered very well. It felt like riding a tide, the ebb and flow was so smooth and all the time building to the crescendo at the end when Vieux managed to get us all singing along, it was a rousing finale.
Catching up with Vieux backstage, I got a glimpse into how he works. He's a very relaxed person, calm, collected and “natural” in respect to how he composes his work and how he works with others. Even in his own words he is very open and welcoming. “In this life you have to be open. Everyone is welcome with me, because life is just a moment, it's a journey. I don't stress.” The warmth of his persona resonated in his wishes. “Happy Valentines Day” he said to all the lovers and he shared his wishes of good luck for the future for his listeners too. It was a warm evening inside St Georges with many hearts full of cheer.
Review by Melanie Horstead
Vieux Farka Toure Website.
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