Vieux Farka Toure

The secret is out. Vieux Farka Toure's third studio release (produced by guitarist Eric Krasno of Soulive) is his most advantageous yet. Collaborations with Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville and John Scofield prove that Vieux Farka Toure isn't afraid to branch out from Mali's rich musical history in order to tune into a global sound. The songs fall into one of two categories: those with Western musical guests and those without. The latter includes a touching collaboration with his father (the late Ali Farka Toure), "The Secret," as well as "Wonda Guay" and "Sokosondou," which will surely satisfy fans of Toure's '09 release, Fondo. "Lakkal [Watch Out]," "All the Same" and "Borei" capture more urgent grooves and elevated excitement more reminiscent of the success of his '07 release, Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako. The Secret finds Vieux Farka Toure digging deep into his musical history, as well as the history of American blues. Cementing his position as one of the foremost West African artists of this century.