St. Cyprian’s Church | San Francisco, CA | May 16 | 7pm | $40

A unique opportunity to learn secrets from one of Africa’s most celebrated artists of our times – Vieux Farka Touré (the son of Ali Farka Touré), master of the desert blues and West African guitar.  From Mali, Vieux’s band tours worldwide and with his 2010 World Cup performance before a billion people in Johannesburg, South Africa, Vieux Farka Touré has become one of the most celebrated African guitarists in history. Watch the clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8elU2T2W6A

No matter your skill level on guitar, come and learn from the source.  Acoustic guitar strongly recommended. If you are unable to bring an acoustic you can bring an electric guitar but no amps please.  Vieux will be available for meeting participants and signings after the workshop.

Purchase tickets and find more info at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/171012

We are thrilled to announce Vieux Farka Toure’s third and best studio album, The Secret (Six Degrees Records) will be released May 24, 2011.  The album produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of Soulive fame) also features Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, John Scofield, Ivan Neville and Vieux’s final collaboration with his legendary father, Ali Farka Toure.

“To make this album I had to dig deep into the secrets of my own history and my country’s culture in order to move the music forward,” Vieux said, back in his native Mali. “My music is more mature now, more evolved.  It digs deeper into the past and pushes harder into the future as a result. This is a hard thing to explain, but hopefully the music speaks for itself. Do you want to know the secret?  You have to listen to the album.”

Given his recent collaborations and accomplishments-including a performance in front of a billion people during the 2010 World Cup-Vieux’s time to break through to larger audiences has arrived.  With that in mind, Vieux is hitting the road!  May 2011 tour dates are listed in the Tour tab, with Summer 2011 tour announcements coming soon!

Vieux’s busy at work on his new album set to be released May 24th!  Eric “Kraz” Krasno (pictured on the right, of Soulive fame) is at the production helm, while guest artists on the album include John Scofield (center above), Ivan Neville, Kraz himself, Derek Trucks and more! Stay tuned for more information on the biggest and baddest Vieux Farka Toure album to date!

At the 53rd Grammy Awards in LA, Vieux Farka Toure had the honor of accepting the Grammy for Best Traditional World Album on behalf of his late father–the legendary Ali Farka Toure–and Toumani Diabate. The album, Ali and Toumani, was recorded before Ali’s death in 2006 in the Toures’ hometown of Bamako, Mali. This is Ali’s third Grammy win, but his first award received posthumously. Vieux played percussion and contributed backing vocals on the album, released by World Circuit Records.  Congratulations to everyone involved in the creation of this amazing album, and to all of the night’s winners!

Fort Worth’s Star-Telegram offered their Globespinning Top 5 World-Music Albums of 2010 and Vieux is #2! They go on to praise him as a “masterful guitarist” and say they especially love him live. Read the full list and review here.

Vieux joins a host of stars commemorating the the 25th anniversary of “We Are The World” with a re-release and digital album. Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aurelio Martinez with Youssou N’Dour, Angelique Kidjo, Lila Downs, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Razia Said, Abigail Washburn & the Shanghai Restoration Project, Luisa Maita, G. Love & Special Sauce Among Artists Featured.

Los Angeles (October 20, 2010) — To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of We Are The World, United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) will re-release the 1985 historic recording of the song as the lead track on the upcoming digital compilation We Are The World / United In Song worldwide on December 7, 2010. Once again, USA for Africa has assembled a stellar line-up of international artists to contribute songs to the project with proceeds from this effort going to assist Africa and Africans with the current challenges facing the continent. The collection of songs on We Are The World / United in Song was compiled by Executive Producers Suzie Weston and Alexia Baum. It will be distributed worldwide by Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) and available to hundreds of digital storefronts across the globe including major digital music services iTunes®, Amazon, eMusic, and Rhapsody in the U.S.

Stars align for this west coast tour…

10/18/10 Center for the Arts, Jackson, WY
10/20/10 Christopher Cohan Center, San Luis Obispo, CA
10/21/10 Viejas Casino, San Diego, CA
10/22/10 Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA
10/23/10 Paramount Theatre (SF Jazz Festival), Oakland, CA
10/24/10 Veterans’ Hall, Grass Valley, CA
10/27/10 Arcata Theatre, Arcata, CA
10/28/10 Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
10/29/10 The Cellar Door, Visalia, CA

To celebrate Vieux Farka Toure’s North American Summer Tour and the release of his Live Album, Relix and Six Degrees Records will be giving away a Godin guitar (the same model Vieux Farka Toure plays)! Enter here at Relix.com

Vieux Farka Touré and BLK JKS at Rio Loco Festival, France

With his 2010 World Cup performance before a billion people —yes, you heard that right—in Johannesburg, South Africa, Vieux Farka Touré has become one of the most celebrated African guitarists in history.

With international acclaim still pouring in from his second full-length, Fondo—one of iTunes best World Music albums of 2009, and a staple on critics’ year-end pick lists as chosen by the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Village Voice and the BBC among many others—Vieux has not only distinguished himself from his famous bluesman father, Malian legend Ali Farka Touré, but begun to transcend thelimitations of the world music genre itself.

The release of the concert album VFT Live (Digital: 6/8/10, Physical: 6/29/10) affirms that Mali’s young lion has become a legend in his own right, emerging at a crucial point in history, just as the Western world is finally beginning to take notice of West African acts like Amadou & Miriam and Omou Sangare. Not only does VFT Live capture the excitement of Vieux’s much- anticipated World Cup performance, but it confirms what tens of thousands of music fans around the world already know: VFT’s live show is championship-caliber.