Recently restored, this excellent documentary centered on Ali Farka Touré, a groundbreaking, experimental, and world-renown roots musician, was shot in the late 90s and includes a variety of footage, sounds, and sights. Often the documentary takes the form of a personal concert, providing high-quality recordings of Touré’s live concerts around Western Africa. While many, including the title, call Touré a ‘blues man,' Touré disputes the title. “What do ‘the blues’ mean to an African” Touré asks at one point early in the film. The blues as Americans understand it is an offshoot of African roots music.
This documentary gives the viewer an excellent example of the ample cultural material which inspires Touré to create groundbreaking modern roots music: Mali is incredibly diverse, a crossroads of dozens of different cultures, languages, and rhythms. Touré had always been inspired by his home near Timbuktu and used that inspiration to help start a worldwide African music fascination that continues to this day.
This excellent documentary is only 52 minutes in runtime, making it an outstanding choice for blues, anthropology, musicology, and African culture or history instructors. As stated above, there is a lot of varied footage: intimate interviews with Touré, concert footage, glimpses of daily life in and around Timbuktu, and the sounds of the people who live there. Touré himself is captured dancing and singing along with several different groups of street musicians.
One of my favorite shots in the entire film is Touré showering a guitar-playing man with a handful of cash before continuing to dance along to the percussive performance. Ali Farka Touré has come a long way since his first single-string sardine-can guitar. With at least a dozen albums to his name and his presence in hundreds of collections, his name is household for those with an interest in modern African music and Blues or Roots. Anyone looking to learn about Touré or African Roots music should pick up Ali Farka Touré… The Blues Man From Timbuktu. Highly Recommended.
What schools or colleges is this film appropriate for?
Ali Farka Touré… The Blues Man From Timbuktu is an excellent choice as an educational resource for any college but is especially recommended for conservatories or music departments in academic libraries for universities or high schools.
What academic library shelves would this be on?
African Culture, Music, Roots Music, and Biography library shelves at universities would be the best fit for Ali Farka Touré… The Blues Man From Timbuktu.