National Opera & Ballet | 20:00
VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ
Mali
“Hendrix of the Sahara”. This is how the Guardian recently described Vieux Farka Touré. No wonder why. The Malian musician is a guitar virtuoso, yet he nurtures the tradition and skillfully talks to the present. The ability of this fantastic dialog was once again confirmed trough the Khruangbin collaboration, the indie super group from Texas that also intertwine their music. The track list of their release “Ali” (2022) is lined up with songs by the colossal Ali Farka Touré, which clearly demonstrated that not only Vieux creates out of his father’s shadow, but furthermore, he upgrades the legacy in a magical way. The five stars album reviews just sealed what West African music aficionados knew for 20 years now. Vieux Farka Touré is a guitar master. Both as an author and as a performer, Vieux Farka Touré maintains a course that’s constantly intensified. It has to be emphasized that messages of peace, tolerance and love are always present throughout his music. His last album, “Les Racines” - “The Roots” (2022, World Circuit), is a real masterpiece, definitely emerging Vieux Farka Toure as one of the biggest stars of the African music today.
National Opera & Ballet | 22:00
FLORENCE ADOONI
Ghana
The music of Florence Adooni is a blend of the Frafra gospel and the vibrant and optimistic highlife sound. Yet, it is far more than that. It is a multilayered display of instrumental virtuosity, shuffling syncopated rhythms and lush vocal harmonies. Florence Adooni was born to Frafra parents in the south of Ghana and the Frafra, from the north, have a distinct set of customs that differ greatly from those of the southern Ashanti people. Growing up, Florence was immersed in both cultures, bringing two worlds together from an early age. Her first album “Sanga La Pa’aya” (2011) was an instant hit but things dramatically changed two years later. The German producer Max Weissenfeldt who was exploring Ghana met Florence by chance, while she personally distributed her second album “Da Sake” (2013). After several successful collaborations with local super-groups, Florence went to Europe for the first time in 2018. Her first international release “Mam Pe’ela Su’ure” (2021) instantly grabbed the attention and in 2023, several prominent festivals welcomed her. After more than 70 European shows in the past two years, we welcome Florence with fresh material from the highly anticipated album “A.O.E.I.U” for Philaphone records.