The blues may have gotten its wings in America. But without question it was hatched in Africa many centuries ago. And nowhere is that profoundly human music more vibrant than in the West African country of Mali. Among all of the polyglot and diverse musical traditions still alive and evolving in Africa today, none is so universally recognized and internationally celebrated as Malian music. Even though the music is still heavily dependent upon traditional instruments -- like the harp-like kora or the flute-like ngoni -- what separates Malian music from the rest of the continental music scene is the way in which contemporary motifs have been inculcated into the country's musical doctrine, and the seamless way in which they've breathed new life into a firmly entrenched history.
By far the most well-known and influential Malian over the past 30 years is the late Ali Farka Toure, who is credited with singlehandedly transformed and elevated the genre to a global stage. The seeds of modern music in Mali, though, were planted after World War II. As British and American soldiers began mingling and jamming with native Malians, the guitar was introduced to the country, harking the beginning of Malian blues as we know it today. The instrument, and the distinctly American blues tropes that it afforded, created a wonderfully intricate hybrid, with ostensibly disparate rolling, throbbing blues from the southern US melding with a peculiarly Malian pentatonic scale and lilting rhythm.
Toure, the man who popularized Malian blues, as well as his musical progeny of Salif Keita, Toumani Diabete, and Rokia Traore, have all nurtured this seedling throughout its gestation, and it continues to grow today. And its ties with the West are stronger than ever, gaining worldwide recognition with Ry Cooder's Grammy-winning collaboration with Ali Farka Toure in 1993, and subsequent festivals like the Festival au Desert, where Robert Plant appeared in 2003. With artists like the blind duo-phenomena of Amadou and Mariam, as well as Ali Farka's own son, Vieux Farka Toure, getting increasing radio play and mp3 attention, Malian blues is sure to evolve at an even faster rate as time progresses. But one thing's sure: it'll never lose sight of its roots.
