Talking Timbuktu

Lød som en ægte Ali Farka Touré plade, lækkert!

Really nice vibes.

I really tried with this one, but it felt annoyingly repetitive.

really cool instrumentals and melodies but dear lord it was SO repetitive. this would be better live but sitting at work listening to this, i was just growing frustrated. the best song was soukora. 3/10

linda cultura mas não curti

This is a gem that I would have never found without doing this. Great album.

This is fine, but he didn’t need a second album.

Not my kind of music

I had heard of Farka Touré's previous album, The Source, several years ago and was thoroughly impressed with how similar his fingerpicked style was to the American blues. I guess The Source was his "breakthrough" album, because here the Malian guitar great teams up with world-travelled guitarist Ry Cooder for a similar collection of weathered, sun-beat jams. This is definitely a very laid-back, relaxed atmosphere dominated by the guitar interplay and complemented by occasional interjections from what sounds like an African kora harp and/or a violin of some sort. Despite collaborating with a Western musician, I don't feel there's anything really "Westernized" on this album; everything seems to be played exactly as it should be, with all resemblances to other genres like the blues being coincidental. The music here seems tailor-made for typically "exotic" experiences like open-air markets, late-night firelit slow dances, and desert adventures. And yet, nothing feels overly commercial or cloying. I appreciate how well Cooder's inclusion balances these things out. It goes without saying, that Farka Touré - dubbed the African John Lee Hooker by the Western press - is the main attraction here, as the Malian desert blues, apparently called Tishoumaren, really doesn't sound like much anything else out there. This is, in my estimation, the album that paved the way for similarly faraway acts like Tinariwen or Mdou Moctar to find an audience in the West, and I think we all benefit from that sort of cultural intersharing. Key Tracks: Bonde, Lasidan, Keito, Diaraby

Un espectáculo!

"Talking Timbuktu" is a collaboration album by Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré and American guitarist/producer Ry Cooder. Malian folk is the sole Wiki-listed genre. The album was acclaimed for "its intimate, warm and conversational guitar interplay, offering a "chilled-out" yet emotionally deep experience." Commercially, album sales reached at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe. The album opens with "Bonde." A finger-picking high-pitched guitar. A handclap, African beat. Cooder comes in with his guitar and we hear the aforementioned guitar interplay. Touré with high tenor vocals and repeating, echoing backing vocals. The musical tone is more of the African desert blues. The next song, "Soukora," continues with a high-pitched guitar riff but a gentler beat/percussion. This music is more in the traditional Malian/African folk style. "Lasidan" picks up the pace. A happier sounding tone. It has a groove. Great guitar melodic interplay between an acoustic and electric guitar. "Au Du" has a blues beat and two bluesy guitars. This is the most American-sounding blues song on the album. Touré is making his guitar sound like a violin...maybe its Cooder. The album ends with "Diaraby." Back to the high-pitched guitar and desert blues. Cooder adds a slide guitar and we get maybe the most obvious fusion of blues styles on the album. The focus of the album is the guitar interplay of Touré and Cooder. There's African percussion but it's mostly in the background. There's also vocals in just about all the songs but probably in 50% of the musical space. There's guitar tone is the star of the show. Cooder adds an electric or even a slide guitar but is clearly giving way to Touré. The musical styles are mostly desert blues and traditional Malian folk but they do go American blues in one song. This album reminded me of the other Malian album I had, Songhoy Blues' "Music in Exile." This is a very good album and worth checking out for just about everybody especially blues fans.

interessant

Not bad

Would have loved to hear this guy collab with Stevie Ray Vaughn or Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Pleasant as a background listen but damn is this repetitive.

Fine album but not for me

I’ve heard this before. I said this in a previous review but I don’t like the production on a lot of African records from the late 80s onwards where the sound is softened and sweetened to the point of being saccharine. Which is unfortunate here because these are great songs. Once you get past the production, there’s a good drone blues sound like what I’d expect John Lee hooker or Junior Kimbrough would make if they were from the Niger delta rather than the Mississippi.

Sadly, no amount of semi-interesting pentatonic guitar fills could make this entertaining to me. I had really hoped this blend of genres and styles would do something for me. I did just find myself very bored. I’ve never been partial to chanted vocals and this album is chock full of them. The whole thing felt like a slog from about halfway through the first song. A worthwhile experiment for me to dip my toe into this sound but unfortunately an unsuccessful one.

Bonde - 4.5/5 Soukora - 3.5/5 Gomni - 4/5 Sega - 3.5/5 Amandrai - 3/5 Lasidan - 3/5 Keito - 3/5 Banga - 3/5 Ai Du - 3.5/5 Diaraby - 3.5/5 Albums like these are why I wanted to start this journey. It's great as background music, almost as if this was meant to be used in a strategy game. Or maybe that's just my many hours in Civ games talking to me. There are some pretty good tracks on here but most of them kinda sound the same after a while. It's not bad at all, just a bit repetitive. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Bonde, Gomni

Not bad, but I'm surprised it made this list. ★★★

Bizarrement relaxant.

2.4/5 interesting jams

Back to back Ry Cooder albums. It was interesting listening to this immediately after Buena Vista Social Club. The music is good, but really specific. Can't say I'd revisit, but its a solid listen.

71/100. Slowpaced jazzy african blues that really delivers on its premise. Being performed and produced by two excellent guitar players it really sets a distinct vibe that is both relaxing and musically rich. The interplay between the traditional African rhythms and the slide guitar work creates a very unique texture.

Ry Cooder is the master of pretty boredom. As nice as it is to have some African elements here, this just makes me feel sleepy. Too much repetition, too little dynamics, it just lulls you in and...

good!

Great start, solid finish, just OK through the middle - but AFT has an agreed Grammy winner here in (although not sure how many other international folk entries there were in 1994.) Makes for an hour of good, late night background music with some light international fare, maybe tapas. (2.45*s) Always enjoy the world music entries!

World music can be great but it can also be a bit redundant and bland. Talking Timbuktu is the former. The album is not bad but I was pretty over it after song 3. A Malian teaming up with a guy named Ry Cooder...I thought it'd be better but not feeling the vibes as much. Certainly better than Dry Cooter though. I'm feeling sorta like the drummer on the album cover, just going along and looking bored. 1.59 stars.

Surprisingly I have a little bit of exposure to Malian music through Damon Albarn's extensive collaboration with African Express and others. He has a handful of releases that I don't regularly listen to but have given each of them a spin over the years as a completionist. Worldbeat isn't my typical genre in any way, but I found Talking Tumbukto to be pleasant for a little while. The beats and delicate stringwork provide a fine foundation for some low energy background music. There's a wide variance of instruments that I don't expect I would hear in traditional american/english music. After a while it all starts to sound similar and you tune out. Even if I can't understand anything they are singing about I can appreciate the exposure. Like many of the other international releases on the list its not bad and just another reason to gain some insight into music from another culture. A half hour of it is about all I need every year or so. After a while it starts to run together and sound too similar so it gets shelved and I move on. 1.53 stars

This really felt good today. Loping West African bluesy folk. It's going to be a hot day, but this is for the morning when it's still not to bad out.

I have taken a bit of a break from this because of various parts of my life getting a lot busier, so this is the first album I've heard from the list in a month. It's a fine album, it has some nice chord progressions and melodies played well by the musicians, but it doesn't really have a lot going on. A lot of the songs sound very similar, to the point that I thought a couple of tracks were reprises of earlier ones, and the songs themselves are often very repetitive. This isn't helped by the length of many of the tracks, there are only two on the whole album under five minutes and I don't think any really earn their length. Ultimately, I think this album would make for some good background music for other activities, as it's easy to move your focus elsewhere while listening to it. I struggle to envision someone putting Talking Timbuktu on specifically to listen to it, though I can absolutely see it providing ambience in a chilled out environment. Favourite song: Soukora

Do not like african music

The music is beautiful. A bit boring but lovely

Two Ali Farka Touré albums in a row, what are the odds!? Granted, I would've appreciate this much more if there was some more time between the records. This is very similar to Savane to my ears. If I would've let the two albums play back-to-back, I would've have realized without first knowing they were two different albums. Still, it's not too bad. Definitely Some nice guitar playing. I do find some of the songs to drag on for way too long, reaching up to 7-9 minutes of without much variation. Weak 3.

We had the other Ali Farka Toure album the day before so I've already listned to quite a lot. The last album I gave a 4 but this didn't really bring anything new to the table. Giving it a strong 3.

Loved it from beginning to end - just hits the right vibe, with bluesy tone without loosing authenticity.

Can really vibe to it

10

Nice album, opens really strong. This did get a bit samey and blend together for me.

I liked it, maybe not quite as much variety as I would have liked. Different than what I am used to and well crafted. 3.8

I know there’s better African music out there. We don’t need to involve Ry Cooder in this

Not for me but still not as bad as Jazz.

Started strong but into the end it felt like there just wasn’t enough weight to it.

7/10 Favorite: Ai Du

The best of both worlds or something

Nice

Pretty

Tämähän oli yllättävän hyvä. En oikein tiennyt mitä odottaa, mutta tämä malilaisen Ali Farka Tourén ja amerikkalaisen Ry Cooderin (tuttu Walter Hillin elokuvien ääniraidoilta) yhteistyö voitti minut puolelleen. En tiedä tuleeko tämän pariin palattua, mutta ainakin ensimmäinen kuuntelu oli ihan miellyttävä.

Lovely!

It annoyed me at first but it grew on me. Good background music.

I had heard this before and enjoyed it a little better this time. Not something I will listen to often, some decent blues / world music

The sound of the album is pretty warm and pleasant to listen to, but track by track, the repetitive nature of most of the songs built up to weigh the full work down by the end It's still a likeable album and it's hard to mind the songs sitting comfortably in the background, but in the context of this list it's held back a little. "Soukora" stands out as having extra warmth and a bit of a different feel from the rest of the tracklist

The desert blues never sounded better. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. It’s an inoffensively groovy album, which is a strength & a curse. It’s a strength in that I don’t think there’s ever a bad track here, and if you allow yourself to get into that groove, these tracks will generally pass by without incident & hit you in a really nice way. It’s a curse in that if you can’t get into that groove, these tracks will feel far longer than they are, and their looping patterns & melodies will feel incessant. For me, I can’t say the curse ever hit me too badly, but there are moments where it pops in & just kinda leaves me more critical of the lack of progression at some points. It’s easy to say “all of these tracks are the same”, especially with the acoustic / percussion work, but that undermines the fact that each song has different melodies & rhythms, and that each is sung in one of four different languages – there’s variety here, even if it doesn’t really feel like it at times. Ultimately, since it’s hard to go track by track here, my rating is entirely based on a vibe. I think there’s some really good tracks here, a few mediocre (yet nice) ones, and only one that really had the length of the track / monotony of the loop strike me in a less appealing way (“Amandrai”, the longest one here). As with the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan album we got a few days ago, I can’t really say that it’s an album you need to hear before you die in terms of critical acclaim or a “mandatory” piece of work, but as I said when we got “Savane”, I think it’s a recommended listen, if only for the cultural trip of sorts. This album did do more for me than “Savane”, and honestly, on a good day, it might even bump itself up to a 5. I think it’s a really enjoyable project for background noise / vibing to, and while I’m bumping it down to a 4, it’s still got a vote of confidence from me. Good stuff.

Not to bad but have you heard 1 song you heard them all (especially if you don't understand the language). It's nice to have in the background but nothing I will remember tomorrow.

Khruangbinみたいな退屈な音楽だと思った。ボーカルがある分それよりはマシだけど。

Awesome

Three songs in. Definitely a fave. Amandrai a nice deep blues groove. Would be fun to improv to. 5 stars since if the mood is right for this, it's perfect.

i remember when this came out

A pleasure to listen to.

It was fine, interesting at points.

I'll never not like this guy. Ry Cooder is just a cherry on top of some epic instrumentals

That worked really well somehow. Very enjoyable and made me happy!

Farkin' hell. Where the 'New World' crashes into the 'Third World'. Please do not do this any more, one world is enough.

this was pretty cool, it’s so nice to have something different 3.5

very dull, even as background noise it gets a little annoying after a while.

I slightly preferred this one over Savane, but not by a large margin. Overall, really good and compelling throughout. Favourite track: Gomni

Escuché tres canciones, no están mal pero el disco en general no me atrapó.

Probably a couple of tracks too long but I enjoyed it.

Held together by, presumably, Ry Cooder

Desertified

Malian folk. Great vibe. Super blues-y in a lot of ways, with the down-tempo electric guitar riffs. Breaks down the language barrier to create an hour of a chill soundtrack that I'll certainly be coming back to.

3.4/5

Important culturally, not what I’m usually looking for. Songs are fine but I forgot I was listening often.

a little too droney/repetitive for me but great overall

I prefer the team up with Toumani Diabate but this is still good.

this was fine but im not sure malian guitar really does it for me

3.3

Neat

I LOVE DESERT BLUES

Will basically always get down with desert blues or blues in general

Album Review 083 Talking Timbuktu by Ali Farka Toure (1994) Rating 4/5 I’d heard Ali Farka Toure’s name many times before knowingly sitting down to listen to him, and Talking Timbuktu didn’t disappoint when the 1001generator dealt it to me. In short, it’s him, his bandmates and Ry Cooder jamming along, playing west-African blues on clean, slightly-reverby guitars. A nice chilled record, I’ll definitely be listening to more of Farka Toure’s work.

Rating: 5.5/10

I liked the singing and a lot of the guitar riffs

Chill for sure!

beautiful stuff. wish I could understand it more

Not really my thing but verty listenable in small doses.

well nice. just gives me v positive vibes, music for a sunny day 7 / 10 Best tunes: Soukara, Lasidan, Ai Du

This is why I am on this journey. Albums like this. Never heard of it, absolutely loved it.

This was such a different album from what I’d normally listen to, but I enjoyed it and I was so easily absorbed into the atmosphere of it. I think the tracks could have been a bit shorter, but the music itself was so rhythmically hypnotic that it never really became unpleasant ortiresome. There is heavy American blues influence across tracks, but the blend with the traditional Malian percussion patterns created a groove that really resonated with me. I love how even though the tracks are pretty much all built on repeating rhythmic patterns with sparse instrumentation, each one feels very distinct from the next. Toure’s guitar playing had a cyclical, trance like quality to it, and listening through the entire album was genuinely somewhat meditative for me. To be honest, I did not look up the lyrics, so I have no idea what they were about, so the vocals acted more like another musical element for me.

While one wishes for the type of diversity that doesn’t involve collaborating with an American guitarist, one takes what little one can get on this list. It was pretty solid. Fell off a bit towards the end due to repetition, but otherwise an easy listen front-to-back. I’ll take “Bonde” and “Amandrai” as my favorites, with the latter being a much needed change of pace in the tracklisting. Light 4/5 a jam

Pleasant music from a Malian guitarist in collaboration with an American. Blues with a Malian twist. While I enjoyed it, it wasn’t as impactful as some other foreign language stuff I’ve listened to in this project. 3/5

Funciona como música de fondo para la vida cotidiana. Disfruté la exploración de sonidos, algunos no tanto de mi gusto. Igualmente entretenido.

Every song is so repetitive! This is supposed to be a guitar-led album, but the guitar tone is so thin and wimpy and the playing is uninspired. Not a single fun moment.

Heard some Toure before, solid interesting stuff. But over this album begins to ware. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 50/218 (22%) Will I get: No

Nice listen

Ngl, I like the instrumental, but I just don’t connect to the music in a way that justifies this being a “must” listen to album.

good african album, i loved the guitar on this

3.5 - Good

Inoffensive but it sounded like one hour long jam with little distinction between the various tracks. This would make great background music for a game or played in a restaurant maybe. It's music that fits the purpose of being so background that it washes over you and can easily be ignored. Mood music maybe? Two stars for something that was really not special in any way at all.

Not really my style at all unfortunately. Too jammy for my taste. I liked that it was a lot different than everything ive listened to so far. Very relaxing it almost made me fall asleep while listening.

One of the most solid guitar albums I've ever heard. This guy is just amazing and was killing it the whole record. You can tell he was just dialed in and right in the zone. I imagine he was mesmerizing to watch live.

3.5

Good album, I used to love it but it’s just alright these days

I would have preferred this without the singing. Decent enough music but the voice is annoying and not enjoyable to listen to at all. 1.5/5

very relaxing

One of those albums I respect more on paper than in practice. Definitely glad I heard it, at least. Also, “Ry Cooder” sounds like the name of a lost Looney Tunes character.

I did not love this album and was hoping I would. two stars

It was interesting listening to something a bit different, but it felt like the album went on for a bit too long.

Gorgeous album start to finish.

Eh, I’d take Ry Cooder and leave Ali Farka Toure. This record is like west African stony bro-ness. I dunno, not for me, I guess. 5/10

West African Vibe

Just mellow, on the beach guitar tunes. It all just drifts along nicely - whether you think that's a good or bad thing is up to you. However, it does make me wonder - again - whether I needed to hear this before I died. Best Tracks: Bonde; Soukora; Ai Du

Started out good/ok (3 stars) but then dragged on a bit too long and got pretty boring. Might have dropped it a star for me.

It's not bad, good vibes. But it did start to drag a bit.

Ali is a great musician who puts together some nice jamming tracks. I liked his higher tempo stuff more than his more blues-sounding slower songs, such as "Bonde", "Soukora", and "Sega"

Thanks to Ry Cooder for introducing us to Ali Farka Touré. The music was good.

Interesting one, bluesy African jam. Enjoyed it. khruangbin i Took some nspiration, maybe from Khruangbin

This is ok I guess. It all starts to sound the same after awhile

Very good.

Nothing special.

Meditative stuff. Feelers with Same thing all over again.

Different

Sometimes bluesy, mostly tribal, occasionally gratingly repetitive. Reminds me of the type of music they would play at The Nature Company back in the day. It’s decent, something different. (3)

Weirdly a banger, really liked this one

Oof. This is some repetitive west African music. It’s very tiring to listen to all of this because it doesn’t really go anywhere. I don’t know of care to learn the context here but I don’t find this worthwhile except from an anthropological standpoint. One star.

"Talking Timbuktu" is a very beautiful album. I find myself glad to live in a world where people make music such as this. I do think this album is a little too repetitive to be one I come back to frequently, but it is quality music all the same.

Unexpected, a solid listen. Fantastic guitar, solid vocals.

Heerlijk

Not sure about this one…

Funkayyy i actually really enjoyed the vibes and its very new for me

Enjoyable, bluesy and African.

Chill African beats

This is one of the relatively few albums on here that I truly knew *nothing* about going in. It's also one of my favorite albums I knew absolutely nothing about. For some reason, I started listening without reading anything, and during the listening, I honestly wasn't even entirely sure what genre of music this would be considered. But I did get some research done, and it has helped a little. Ali Farka Touré is from Mali, and this album is considered Malian folk music. Although, it really seems like a couple of these songs are also blues inspired, but I do not know if that's actually true. Also, the other artist credited on the front is Ry Cooder, who it turns out has extensive history playing guitar with celebrated musicians. Anyways, Talking Timbuktu is really good. The songs here are largely on the lengthier side, and they use their time well. This album has a great atmosphere, and the compositions themselves are repetitive but extremely detailed. It almost feels like jam music in a way. I don't fully understand who's doing what here, but I get the sense that chemistry is extremely important. Talking Timbuktu ends up really immersive and transportative, and enjoyable to listen to. I don't feel particularly qualified to really break this one down, but I did thoroughly enjoy myself regardless.

Gotta love West African music. I’ll gladly add this 10th Ali Farka Touré album to my library.

This is top-tier relaxation music that actually has some teeth to it. The interplay between the instruments is fun and feels very organic. It is rare to find an album this pretty that doesn't feel cheesy or overproduced. Definitely a keeper for my morning coffee routine. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Bonde - Soukora - Amandrai - Ai Du

Delightful, and different from the typical fodder we see on this list.

not for me.

great repeat listen

Almost 4

Lovely

po é bom, mas é meio repetitivo?

nao eh ruim mas eh bem chatim, repetitivo sei não. acho que nao gostei, mas reconheço que eh bacana

I'll search for detailed information about this seminal album to provide you with a thorough review. Let me search for more specific details about the lyrical content and any critical weaknesses to ensure a balanced review. Here is an in-depth review of **Talking Timbuktu** (1994), the landmark collaboration between Malian guitar master Ali Farka Touré and American roots musician Ry Cooder. --- ## The Context: A Meeting at the Heart of the World Released in 1994 on World Circuit Records, *Talking Timbuktu* represents one of the most successful cross-cultural musical dialogues ever recorded. The collaboration began when Touré and Cooder met in London in 1992; Touré presented Cooder with his prized possession—a one-string lute called an *n'jurkel*—and they agreed to work together. Recorded in just three days at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, the album brought together Touré's West African band with Cooder's American roots expertise, plus contributions from jazz bassist John Patitucci, drummer Jim Keltner, and blues legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. The album's title reflects Touré's philosophy: "For some people, when you say 'Timbuktu' it is like the end of the world, but that is not true. I am from Timbuktu, and I can tell you we are right at the heart of the world". This perspective—reframing a symbol of remote isolation as a center of cultural gravity—permeates the entire project. ## Musical Analysis: The Desert Blues Convergence ### Style and Composition The album pioneered what became known as **desert blues**—a hypnotic fusion of Malian folk traditions and American Delta blues. Running approximately 60 minutes across ten tracks, the music relies on repetitive, circling guitar riffs (*kora*-like patterns played on electric guitar), modal structures, and sparse, deliberate instrumentation that evokes the vastness of the Sahel. Touré's guitar work is the album's gravitational center. He alternates between electric and acoustic guitars plus the *njarka* (a one-string fiddle), producing a sound that earned him the nickname "the African John Lee Hooker". His technique involves trance-inducing ostinatos and microtonal bends that feel simultaneously ancient and immediate. Cooder's contribution is more subtle than dominant. His slide guitar, mandolin, cumbus (Turkish banjo), and mbira add textural layers without overwhelming the Malian foundation. On tracks like "Amandrai" and "Ai Du," the two guitarists engage in a musical conversation that feels like "two different languages having a conversation"—creating a "full circle moment where traditional African roots music, which inspired American blues, merges with the blues". ### Rhythmic Foundation The percussion is handled by Touré's countrymen: Oumar Touré on congas and Hamma Sankare on calabash (a gourd percussion instrument). Their playing creates a fluid, cyclical pulse that mimics the motion of waves despite Mali being landlocked. This rhythmic approach—relentlessly mellow yet propulsive—distinguishes the album from more aggressive blues-rock fusions. ## Lyrics and Themes: Griot Poetry in Four Languages Touré sings in **four languages** throughout the album: Songhai, Bambara, Peul, and Tamasheq, reflecting Mali's ethnic diversity and Touré's role as a modern *griot* (oral historian/musician). ### Love and Longing The emotional core of the album lies in its romantic ballads. "Soukora" (Bambara for "night") stands as one of the most beautiful love songs in world music. The lyrics depict a lover calling out in the darkness: *"My love it is night now, wait for me my love. I love you. And I love the night. I like it when it is peaceful at night, wait for me my love"*. "Diaraby" (meaning "love" or "girlfriend") explores separation through arranged marriage—a partner married away to someone she doesn't know, creating "something aching and sweet" that runs through the track. The words function as poetry rather than narrative, prioritizing emotional resonance over literal storytelling. ### Cultural Identity and Place Several tracks address the relationship between people and their environment. "Gomni" and "Lasidan" incorporate themes of human migration and natural cycles, while "Bonde" opens the album with an invocation of pastoral life. The lyrics—though impenetrable to most Western listeners without translation—carry the weight of Touré's Sahelian heritage, conveying the spiritual geography of the Niger River region. ## Production: Atmospheric Alchemy Ry Cooder's production is characterized by **acoustic purity and spatial warmth**. Rather than imposing Western pop structures, he created an atmosphere "that allows every single sound, the timbre of any instrument, to breathe". The recording reportedly used minimal overdubbing, capturing the spontaneous feel of a live session with "that improvised feel of a conversation". The sonic signature is distinctly "warm and creamy"—audiophiles have praised its wide soundstage, natural room reverb, and zero distortion. Cooder employed an arsenal of exotic instruments—including electric mandolin, toy guitar, tamboura, and accordion samples—to add color without clutter[^6^-2]. However, this approach has drawn criticism for being overly polished. Some listeners note the "too-smooth sound throughout which almost makes it grow a bit stale", suggesting the production occasionally sanitizes the raw energy of Touré's solo work. ## Legacy and Influence *Talking Timbuktu* won the **1995 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album** and appears in the book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*. Its influence extends across multiple spheres: 1. **Genre Legitimization**: It established "desert blues" as a recognized global genre, paving the way for groups like Tinariwen and Bombino. 2. **Cultural Bridge**: The album demonstrated that collaboration between African and American musicians could be a dialogue of equals rather than appropriation—a "political act" of conciliation through mutual respect. 3. **Revelation of Roots**: For many listeners, the album revealed the African origins of the blues, completing a circle that began when Touré first heard John Lee Hooker and recognized their shared musical DNA. The album sold over 238,000 copies in the United States alone—remarkable numbers for a "world music" release in the 1990s. --- ## Pros and Cons ### **Pros** - **Unprecedented Guitar Chemistry**: The interplay between Touré and Cooder represents a masterclass in cross-cultural musical empathy. They maintain distinct voices while creating a unified sound. - **Emotional Universality**: Despite the language barrier, the emotional content—yearning, joy, melancholy—transcends linguistic boundaries. Tracks like "Ai Du" (featuring Clarence Brown's weeping viola) possess a cinematic emotional scope. - **Authentic Cultural Exchange**: Unlike "world music" projects that exploit exotic sounds for tourist consumption, this collaboration honors Touré's authorship (he wrote all ten tracks) while Cooder serves as facilitator rather than dominant partner. - **Hypnotic Textures**: The repetitive, circular nature of the compositions creates a meditative, trance-like state that rewards deep listening while functioning beautifully as ambient atmosphere. - **Technical Excellence**: From an audiophile perspective, the recording quality is exceptional—warm, spacious, and detailed, with natural dynamics rarely heard in modern compressed recordings. ### **Cons** - **Uneven Track Quality**: The album's latter half contains weaker material. Tracks like "Keito" and the instrumental "Banga" lack the melodic distinctiveness of "Ai Du" or "Soukora," contributing to a sense of sameness over the full runtime. - **Monotony Through Repetition**: While the hypnotic cyclical patterns are a strength, they can become exhausting. With eight of ten tracks exceeding five minutes (and "Amandrai" reaching 9:22), the album risks wearing out its welcome for listeners unaccustomed to modal, trance-based music. - **Production Smoothness**: Cooder's polished aesthetic occasionally strips away the grit that characterizes Touré's best solo work. Some critics argue the "90s coffee shop" production values have aged less gracefully than more raw recordings. - **Vocal/Instrumental Imbalance**: As one detailed review noted, "the vocals aren't able to keep up with the quality of the music"—not because Touré sings poorly, but because the guitar work is so extraordinarily exquisite that it overshadows the vocal performances. - **Spiritual Dislocation**: Touré himself reportedly called America a "spiritual car park" and was unhappy recording there. While this sadness arguably adds emotional depth to the longing in tracks like "Diaraby," some listeners detect a tension between the joyful collaboration and Touré's personal discomfort. --- ## Conclusion *Talking Timbuktu* remains a landmark achievement in global music—a rare collaboration that enriches both traditions it touches rather than diluting them. It captures two master musicians at peak powers: Touré channeling centuries of Sahelian musical tradition, and Cooder facilitating with the humility of a devoted student. Despite occasional lapses into repetition and uneven pacing, the album's highlights—particularly "Soukora," "Ai Du," and "Amandrai"—rank among the most beautiful recordings in either artist's catalog. For listeners seeking entry into African music or desert blues specifically, this remains the essential starting point—a "pearl found in the desert" that sounds as vital today as it did three decades ago.

I like the guitars.

Chill, desert blues guitar music. I love this stuff.

Pleasant to have on in the background, but pretty repetitive for active listening.

Eh, album was fine. Registered as music in the background, nothing I felt myself jamming to. Pretty meh on it.

This was alright. Started off kind of strong but just went on for a bit too long in my opinion. The guitar is nice. I just can't picture myself ever returning to this album. It didn't do much for me, but it wasn't unpleasant.

This was cool, but not really my thing. Musically very good, and I grooved to it the whole time, but probably would never listen again. Three stars.

Enjoyable sonic landscapes, but a dull album nonetheless.

3.5

Very interesting. Loved the exposure to new cultural music. Definitely a vibe to it.

I enjoyed this album listen from Ali Farka Toure! This isn’t music I typically listen to but I thought that it was pleasant to listen to and had a great catchy beat through most of the songs. I liked this album even though it didn’t blow me away per se but I would give it another listen!

I don't think this is the most groundbreaking stuff but I really enjoy the Malian regional sounds.

African beats

Afro-jazz vibe

Get some WES vibes from this. Never heard of the two, feels like an arbitrary addition to this list. Nice to hear though

Muy distinto a lo que estoy acostumbrada, muy buenoooooo. me gusto. no lo escucharia todo el tiempo, pero tener de fondo, los sonidos me gustan mucho.

Pleasant

Foreign different from the normal stuff. Glad i listened to it

A stunning collaboration from two different worlds. The blues guitar of Ry Cooder meets the traditional Malian style of Ali Farka Toure. I don't know what it is about Mali but for a landlocked African country that you never really hear about, it produces some amazing music. Even without Cooder's contributions this would be a good album but the perfect blending of their styles really works. This is perfect music to relax and get lost in.

Love Mali guitar.

Great guitar Not for me.

It's not my vibe but I can definitely respect the artistry. Seems to be very good unassuming music to just have on in the background. Extremely chill. I don't think I'll go out of my way to revisit these songs. However, I'm glad to have heard them once. It's performed well, and really easy to just hit play and let it fill out the room. Hard for me to really get into it, but it's good music 3.0/5

It was nice enough music to cook our tea to. One of the tracks reminded me of riding a donkey. Pleasant but nothing to fax work about.

Nice listen

No brainer. This album/music belongs on this list. Beautiful music. 5 banner stars.

*Cool variety to the African sounds

A mix of African folk music and blues. It sounds like a jam session between talented musicians with very different styles, in that it was interesting to listen to but had lots of dead spots that felt like they were trying things that didn't work out. I don't feel like the styles really combined together very well. There were some interesting rhythms though.

Not my thing but was really pretty good and loved the guitar playing by Ry Cooder!

2/5. An hour of anemic blues tinted with Malian folk and Malian folk tinted with blues. An album whose claims to fame are (1) having a riff show up on a quiz show segment and (2) appearing in the book that inspired this website. The guitar playing is competent and the composition is too, but that's not saying much given the simplicity of the songs. I'm reminded of my time at college where a friend of mine would excitedly share some music from a foreign artist every other week or so. The music, almost invariably, was a mediocre execution of a genre already available in the West but with foreign singing over it. And this fits that bill just about perfectly. That said: there are some pleasant listening moments here. Not enough to return though.

I often feel shallow during these reviews for my lack of appreciation to the intricacy and skill that I’m sure many of these albums employ. But ultimately, I’m simple. This music was inoffensive, but not something I got a lot out of. Can imagine it being played in a cafe, but nothing I’d seek out on my own or note above my conversation.

Two artists I'm totally unfamiliar with doing a collaboration, and right out of the gate I love this! I don't have a lot of experience with African Blues, but what I've heard is great, including this release.

Рома: прикольное под травку мне кажется

Hauntingly funky and swings! 4.5

Snervt

Den Anfang fand ich durchaus spannend, mit der Zeit hat sich das Album aber ziemlich abgenutzt und es ist teilweise eher ins Nervige umgeschwungen.

Gibt mir wieder so schöne Mdou Moctar-Vibes. Unglaublich spannende Musik, in der man sich gut verlieren kann, auch wenn in den Songs selbst gar nicht mal so viel passiert. Die weniger westlich inszenierten Stücke haben mich etwas rausgebracht, aber sie bringen nochmal etwas Abwechslung mit rein.

Joah, an sich interessant, aber war dann auch froh, als ich es hinter mir hatte. 3 Sterne sind denke ich gut genug, eine interessante Erfahrung, musikalisch auch nicht all zu verkehrt. für mehr reicht es dann aber auch nicht.

Scheint ganz gut zu sein. Aber mehr als „normal gut“ erscheint es mir auch nicht.

Ich weiß nicht so wirklich, was ich davon halten soll. Das ist alles keineswegs schlecht, stellenweise gibt mir das auch durchaus was. Das Problem besteht jedoch hauptsächlich darin, dass die Songs nach der Hälfte ihrer Spielzeit bereits auserzählt sind.

Das wäre wohl besser wäre es etwas kompakter und mehr auf den Punkt, aber das ist vermutlich auch nur meine westliche Ansicht auf die Musik, die mit westlichen klassischen Songstrukturen aufgewachsen ist

A good mixing of musical styles. 4 stars or B+.

Another one that I can appreciate, saved a couple songs off of, but probably won't be adding to the regular rotation.

I mean, it’s definitely kind of interesting. Did I need to hear it before I die? Probably not, but I guess that’s the case for a lot of these albums. For me personally, I already like desert blues but this is very acoustic and sort of old school. I suppose it’s foundational to that genre and Touré is the king of African guitarists. Still, it’s just a bit bland.

This was decent, maybe not fully my thing but I did appreciate a lot of it, at points I did start feeling like I was in a Simon Reeve documentary, and he really annoys me. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Amandrai

Two legends, but this album isn't really my bag. Very similar songs, and longer than i would like.

Enjoyed this one way more than the other album I've heard from him. My main complaint about the other album was the length of the songs and the (perceived) lack of development as they progressed. The songs did feel feel like they developed here even if still overstaying their welcome a bit.

> the Beatles

1001e album, ENFIN! Urgh, le chemin de croix que ça a été, mais je suis finalement délivré de mon calvaire auditif journalier! Fini le proto-punk/punk/post-punk et autres albums fillers que je suis persuadé que Dimery avait même pas écouté pis il lui manquait 400 spots pour se rendre à 1001. Mais enfin bref! À moi les margaritas parmi les grands qui on finit cette liste. Ciao, losers! 🖕😏🖕 EDIT DE GENRE MAINTENANT: COMMENT ÇA IL EN RESTE 88??!! ROOOOBEEEEEEERT!!!!

Love the instrumentals on this but I'm just not sure if it's something I'd go back to frequently

Great Music and good vibes.

Initially this felt like an ambient listen - high quality production, but not enough variety. Towards the end, there was a bit more going on.

Loved the instrumentation (with the exception of track 4), really spoke to the tap dancer in me. First two tracks were really beautiful. Loses me a little with the length of each track. I am not familiar with much world music. Favorite track: Lasidan; least fav: Sega.

Skilful guitarists just not something I would listen to

Such a unique vibe, a mixture of so many styles and a very sunny listen. Gave it 4 and not 5 because it went on a little long but I liked having this one on.

1/6 Interesting world music. Will keep it in rotation

Sounds like I’m in a video game but nice background music

Different but pleasant.

Excellent world music

Smooth and enjoyable.

I feel like some of these albums were thrown in here simply for "diversity". Honestly there isn't any genre diversity nor culture diversity on this list. It's such a shame. This album isn't at all what I'd listen to. Just not my style. Two songs sound like a bare version of Romanian traditional folk, I think that's cool, that's like all I got to say. Overall it's eh, nothing that special for me, more like calming and relaxing background music. Still, I'd like to listen to more stuff like this instead of the same British punk/rock or American rock/folk. Idk I got a feeling this was only chosen cuz Ry Cooder is involved and he is American. I'm not tryna undermine his work, but seeing how little foreign works are chosen for this project, I can't help but think this way. I'm actually stunned to see African music on here. I'd expect that a guy like this list's author would think Africa is one big country and everyone lives in trees and caves.

- didn’t know what to expect, but I was not disappointed - sooo groovy, un bon album à écouter l’été

Good stuff though it does go on kinda long

180/1001 Ali Farka Touré - Talking Timbuktu Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Whilst this may not be the strongest album overall, I had a really pleasant time with it this morning. The rhythms and guitar style is intricate and is a perfect album for a chilled morning. There's some elements of blues coming through as well. The main issue is that it does become a little repetitive after a while.

I liked this album but it wasn't one of the better African guitar albums I've heard. Not much to say, it was playing in the background and I feel like that's kind of where it belongs. Great playing but it didn't exactly hold my attention. 3/5

A very welcome change to all the Brit Pop and David Bowie on this list. Good background music but slightly too repetitive to really focus on.

Pas fan, je suis pas raciste hein mais bon...

Type de musique que mes darons mettent en fond quand ils lisent. Update : je l’ai effectivement écouté avec mes darons et ils ont kiffé

cool album. No idea what it is about but love the tunes

Enjoyable, though seemed designed to appeal to western ears

Iif I understood the lyrics this may have been a higher rating. Instrumentation is good; all in all, great musicians but not my scene. Listened before? N Saved some tracks? N Favorite tracks? NA ⭐⭐ Didn't understand it

Boring and too long. Not something I will listen to again.

Cool, chill guitar playing

man the World music featured on this list has a pretty good representation and this is no different. Amandrai is probably my favorite, I guess those familiar blues-ish riffs hit just right. Great listen overall.

Oh hell yeah this one is right up my alley. Love those rhythms and basically any music on this list that’s not in English is probably going to be good.

There’s something interesting in here but I can’t hear it b/c Ry Cooder can’t shut the fuck up. I’m not a fan of modal noodling to begin with. Each of these songs plays like 30 seconds worth of a musical idea stretched to an intolerable length. But what makes this a truly negative listening experience is Ry Cooder constantly injecting his droll musical ideas (in that shitty strat-through-a-jazz-chorus-amp voice) so that I’m not even sure what the Malian musicians might sound like unmolested and unadulterated.

I do really enjoy West African music, and this is a great example of that. energetic and friendly.

NIce combo

It was fine? A good vibe but didn't stand out in any way. Definitely above average for a predominantly instrumental album but still not my fave.

The perfect music to listen to riding the train late at night. Really great mood to this entire record, and such soul while also feeling so calm and mellow at the same time. Best Track: Soukora

This is a good album to read a book and have a decent coffee or tea on a cold or rainy morning. It's good, chill and I have no clue what they are singing about but will put this album on a cold winter morning that I have nothing to do but relax.

This was an enjoyable listen. Like african jazz it had a good beat, some beautiful polyrhythms and the top lines were fun. The sense of unfamiliarity with the African sounds made this sound fresh and interesting which was welcome 800 albums in. It lacked something imperative to take it up a notch and can slip by without making an impression if you dont engage, but if i wanted to pretend i was having an afternoon drink of a terrace of a jazz bar in africa then i'd put this on

I can enjoy what this is but maybe not like it

It's African music, I guess?

Good morning.

unexpectedly blues-y

It is a very interesting album musically. Didn't understand a single lyric, but I try to never really count that against my ratings of non-english albums. Good listen.

It’s an interesting listen that helps to connect African music directly to the blues that stemmed from it originally.

Really nice album. Mostly eastern vibe with western influence from Ry Cooder. Not a bad listen. Not sure I'd put it on again but it was worth the experience.

Good Jams...Not my style... 3 stars

The next time I wanna have a day where I’m making brunch and I wanna do a technology free activity this is exactly the album I’m listening to

A bit repetitious but was nice to listen to.

Not my favourite listen, but more tolerable than other music I’ve listened to. I quite like some of the instrumentals but that might just be because I’m on holiday so it fits the sunny vibe.

Easy listening, will return to this.

At its best, a nicely hypnotic album with enough grit and crunchy stuff. Sometimes a bit smooth and bright for my taste (I'll blame Cooder).

Pretty cool sound throughout. I think it would be a little better if it wasn't so long. Once the Spotify shuffle played the next song I thought it was still going and I literally only got it to stop because I had to check something and change it.

ugodno iznenađenje! ovo je na popisu samo da bude nešto iz maloga, kao raznovrsno, multikulti štaliveć, što je maloumno. bitno da nema NIČEG iz hrvatske, što bi zapadnjačkim slušateljima bilo stoput bliže (i bolje) od ovog. al nema razloga da zbog toga serem po ovom kad je glazba dobra :)

While Talking Timbuktu features Ry Cooder as a guest musician, unfortunately—for me, at least—that is about all it has going for it. I'll be the first to admit that I'm just not really into 'world music,' which is probably the main reason this album just didn't grab my attention. Despite Cooder's involvement, it simply wasn't a match for my personal taste.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album, although I am familiar with Ry Cooder. This album is a pretty good listen. It showcases Malian folk in a Western context, and it works surprisingly well. The instrumentation is great, albeit pretty stripped down on most tracks. I don't understand the lyrics, but I don't need to in order to enjoy this. I would listen again.

Crossover mellem amerikansk roots rock og vestafrikansk musik. Han var kendt i Mali men ikke på verdensplan inden dette. World var begyndt at blive mere populært, man søgte inspiration i mange forskellige dele af verden til musik. genren er Malian blues/desert blues som er præget af at være hypnotisk og gentagende og det tror jeg godt jeg kan lide. Det kan man se som element i andre genre jeg rigtig godt kan lide. Det er også kaldt bluesens urform, da den amerinske blues kan spores tilbage her til. World giver lidt sig selv, det er samarbejde på international plan mellem forskellige kulturer. Det er dog stadig rettet mod et vestligt publikum bare med ikke vestlige traditioner. Det er virkelig god lyd og virkelig analogt. Alt ved det føles ærligt og også meget spirituelt. Jeg kan godt lide spiritualitet, men jeg tror det er fordi det er det tætteste jeg kommer på det jeg føler. Selvom jeg vil sige jeg har en mere sociologisk tilgang til mit verdenssyn eller en mere videnskabelig hvis man ville kalde det dét. Det er dog fedt bare at lytte til to mennesker som connecter over ens værdier og musikalitet.

An extremely chill sound.

Hypnotic

Great to see African representation in the album! This had some beautiful instrumentals and great vocals belonging to a genre I didn't even know existed before today! Wow!

Really cool desert/Afro blues record!

There are some great riffs on this album. My main critique is that they will often stay on one for much longer than is interesting. Despite that it is overall very enjoyable.

Had a better time with this than I expected. Ali Farka Touré seemed like a really chill dude and that ended up colouring his playing. A nice duet album with Ry Cooder that gave the songs some extra oomph. Good stuff.

Some great guitar work. Overall kinda one dimensional and not a lot happening. Not offensive, but have to be really in the mood for this.

Pretty good listen, and nice to get something not from a country that starts with "United." Not sure how often I'll come back to this, but I'm glad I heard it.

Poucos termos me irritam tanto quanto "world music". Só mesmo um gringo fudido — lê-se estadunidense e outras merdas que o valham — pra reduzir toda uma infinidade de estilos e influências totalmente diferentes entre si em um guarda-chuva totalmente sem sentido pelo simples fato desses estilos fugirem do que se conhece como "música ocidental". Tão ruim quanto é ver essa mesma gente dando opinião merda. "Não é pra mim". Vão tomar no cu. Isso aqui é maravilhoso.

Sohoboys ish. Jeg har det nu ret fedt med sådan et album her. Men finder den ikke frem af mig selv.

Bedst når der går Blues. Men det gør det desværre for sjældent

very interesting! idk if i'll ever listen to it again tbh but it's very interesting and fun

This was cool. It reminded me of the blues, in alot of ways.

I think this was a little better than his other album on this list, but overall just not for me I guess. Nothing about it gripped me. I could see having it as some background music but even for that there are other options I would prefer

Passa uma sensação de conforto vendo essa capa e imaginando os brothers de culturas diferentes numa casinha, tocando, experimentando sons, improvisando. Bem parecidas as músicas e repetitivas, até a mais famosa é igual. Parece uma sessão de improviso mesmo, os caras são bons, mas não curti muito não. Deve ter sido mais legal para eles criando do que a gente ouvindo. 2*

Tava interessado no início, bem diferenciado, instrumentos diferenciados, gostosinho, tava achando bacaninha, ia dar 3. Mas aí foi passando e foi passando e se tornou extremamente repetitivo. As linhas do violão/guitarra/sei lá ficavam fazendo a mesma coisa over and over and over again. E o interesse acabou se esvaindo, começou a se tornar cada vez mais chato e desinteressante. Se ouvir as músicas separadas, talvez seja bacaninha. Mas ouvindo o álbum como um todo assim, não ficou bacana não. Acabou caindo pra um 2.

This was a great album that I’d never heard before, which seems like the point of this project. African blues like I’ve never heard before, and it was fun.

Wasn't feeling it 2

Helt ok

Good stuff

This brought a smile to my face. I feel like I’ve heard this before but I can’t say for sure. It’s uplifting yet meditative while feeling like a dream simultaneously. This might be my new go to mood enhancement. Thanks again 1001!

This was an interesting album. While it's cool that there's a blues element, I just don't like blues. This seemed a bit repetitive, too. That being said, this was a fun listen. I'll give it a 4.

Gostei. Achei que faltou gritaria.

tendi nada. mt foda

Ry Cooder que loucura... Não conhecia este álbum mas gostei bastante do conceito. Tem aquele EP de sobrenatural que os cachorros do inferno ficam seguindo os caras pq eles fizeram pacto com o diabo pra fazer música boa, sabe? Esses caras morreriam correndo de cachorro fantasma

uma vibe ne

Excelente álbum. O melhor até agora. O estilo diferente foi incrível e me surpreendeu.

Pegada muito diferente, adorei esse instrumental e o ritmo! Em algumas partes achei um pouco cansativo, como Amandrai que apesar de ótima tem seus extensos 9 minutos com poucas variações (e a batida mais lenta) Mereceu nota alta pela qualidade mas não escutaria ele de novo em um dia só que achei meio loucura e até mesmo torturante, nem ouvi as 3 ultimas sinceramente. Acredito que as músicas mais soltas em certos momentos de espírito vem bem a calhar Side note: tô achando meio cansativo escutar álbuns inteiros principalmente quando não casa com meu mood do dia, provavelmente darei uma sumida por aqui!

álgum é ótimo. a composição musical é legal (muito interessante e complexa!), a mistura de estilos é bastante peculiar. pra mim, seria um 3.5 única e exclusivamente pelo fato de que eu não ouviria com frequência.

muito gostoso de ouvir!!!! me passa vibes de longas viagens de carro olhando pela janela ou então curtindo animada c os outros (tbm no carro) imaginei todo um filme c o álbum dea trilha sonora. inclusive, o meinho de Amandrai me lembrou de paris, texas kkk não dou mais nota pq infelizmente n entendo o q tao falando e eu n gosto de não entender o idioma

Duas coisas que me pegam muito: música tradicional e uma guitarrinha bem tocada. Quem foi o gênio que pensou em misturar música folk africana com blues americano? Ry Cooder, claro. Fazia tempo que eu não escutava um álbum tão criativo. É até difícil escolher a melhor e pior, por conta da consistência do disco. Valorizo muito o instrumental, e esse álbum é um prato cheio nesse aspecto. A percussão é espetacular, muito bem composta, com uma variedade grande de instrumentos. Certamente é a fundação do álbum. Ouvindo essas músicas eu me senti caminhando no deserto do Saara... com o Ry Cooder mandando slide guitar do meu lado. Melhor do álbum: "Diaraby". Pior do álbum: "Keito".

Que álbum lindo! Ry Cooder tem essa mania imperialista de se enfiar nesses sons e grupos “desconhecidos” de outros países. O lado bom é que a gente fica conhecendo essas coisas. Impossível não admirar, ainda mais considerando que ele tem dedo em um dos meus discos preferidos (buena vista social club) e um dos meus filmes preferidos (paris texas). Álbum belíssimo com músicas extremamente agradáveis de ouvir e ficar viajando nelas. Cai muito bem após um dia estressante em que você só bota pra tocar e fica viajando apreciando cada instrumento isoladamente. Os pontos altos pra mim estão na “abertura” e no encerramento: Soukora e Diaraby

Ga meg lite

i don’t think that one has any right to ‘rate’ ethnic music as it is the cultural heritage and its impossible to properly comprehend it without knowing the cultural context, so i’ll give all of the similar albums a 5, even if it wasn’t much of my liking, though i’ll still write my opinion on the musical part two ali farka’s albums back-to-back! this one was lighter and happier than’Savane’, yet the latter felt more shaped and complete, yet this one is undoubtedly gorgeous as well

i love the instruments. only thing negative about it is the fact that it has almost no lyrics.

Good stuff, glad I learned about this one.

Fun listen while working

I don't understand some of these super negative reviews. Even of it ain't your music..one has to damit the guy can jam. I liked the whole album, it will be especially magnificent on a hot summer evening sitting on the patio with an umbrella drink in my hand.

It came, it went

2/10

Bang fucking average. There was nothing offensive or jarring, it was just monotonous wailing and droning.

Some parts were really good. Others not so much.

Inter

I really enjoyed most of this album. Having the same production sound of the guitar gets old for me rather quickly, but that nitpicking. This is a good choice to have on in the background. "Lasidan", "Ai Du", and "Gomni" were the standouts for me. And, when Ry Cooder decides to throw his brand of blues into the fray, you can REALLY feel it.

478/14001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

I feel like I would enjoy this more without the Western Blues influence f Cooder, but perhaps a good intro to the work of Ali Farka Touré. Enjoyed this and will investigate further.

Cultural appropriation probably isn't appropriate. These days we call it a collab. Both styles suit each other, with Ry Cooder holding down the more freestyle Mali approach. Makes we want to go and listen to some Andy Kershaw.

Mali blues at its best.

Another joyful listen

A good album, but only good; pleasant, not mind-blowing. Did Ali Farka Touré need to be in this list twice? It might have been nice to hear from some more desert blues artists instead of the same one twice. Another strange choice from the editors.

I liked this a lot. Hadn’t heard Ali Farka Toure previously, but had heard some of Cooder’s work before having played with Beefheart. This album has a really nice atmosphere and sound. The playing is immaculate, as you’d expect. A nice end to an unchallenging week in the list.

love this album from way back in the day, but have to admit I don't love every song

Nö! Gedudel!

African mellow rock, okay not My style

Interesting sounds! I'm treating this as pretty much an instrumental album, as there are no vocals in english Which is a shame, as it feels this album could have been absolutely huge if Ry Cooder had shared some of the vocal work

Unusual album. One that’s been in my collection for many years. It’s a interesting collaboration that never really fulfils its promise

Gotta say I liked this one- Ali Farka Toure, for sure- Ry Cooder? I’m a bit mixed, but this combo worked nicely. Would own on vinyl

Love Ry Cooder’s guitar. Did get monotonous even though I love world music