Savane (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Savane
Studio album by Ali Farka Touré
Released	July 25, 2006
Genre	African Blues
Length	58:37
Label	World Circuit
Producer	Nick Gold
Professional reviews
Metacritic (94%) link OMM link The Guardian link Stylus Magazine (A) link Pitchfork Media (8.1/10) link PopMatters (8/10) link
Ali Farka Touré chronology
In the Heart of the Moon (2005) Savane (2006)

Savane is the final album by guitarist Ali Farka Touré. It is the third and final part of the Hotel Mandé Sessions, featuring Touré and Toumani Diabaté, recorded by Nick Gold. Mr Touré, who was suffering from cancer and anticipating the inevitable end to his life, wanted to remain in Mali. So a temporary studio was set up on the top floor of the thatched roof Hotel Mandé in Bamako, where the wide windows offered panoramas of life along the Niger River. The unusual studio setup has produced a resonating spaciness and intimacy in the sound quality of Mr. Toure's final album.

"All you can see is river and grasslands and villages and people in pirogues and canoes and boats," Nick Gold said in a recent interview. "It's just beautiful."

It was released posthumously on July 25, 2006, more than four months after Touré's death. It features a number of non-African blues musicians, such as Little George Sueref, Pee Wee Ellis, and also Ali Farka's protégé since the age of 13, Afel Bocoum.

It was released to high critical acclaim, earning a 94 on Metacritic.^[1] It is currently ranked as the 5th best reviewed album in their database.^[2]

[edit] Track listing

1. "Erdi" – 4:42
2. "Yer Bounda Fara" – 4:18
3. "Beto" – 4:49
4. "Savane" – 7:43
5. "Soya" – 4:38
6. "Penda Yoro" – 5:25
7. "Machengoidi" – 3:35
8. "Ledi Coumbe" – 3:16
9. "Hanana" – 2:34
10. "Soko Yhinka" – 5:05
11. "Gambari Didi" – 3:49
12. "Banga" – 3:48
13. "N'Jarou" – 4:55

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Nick Gold interview on the recording of the album
• Ali Farka Touré's commentaries on the album tracks (appeared as liner notes)