Sidi Touré, a highly acclaimed practitioner of Songhaï Music, first emerged on the international scene in 2011 with his signature blues-inflected guitar playing when he released Sahel Folk, his debut album for Thrill Jockey Records and toured North America for the first time. His plaintive vocal melismatic Songhaï folk music carries melodic and repertory characteristics that extend from Ibrahim Dicko, Sidi’s mentor, to Ali Farka Touré’s pioneering work. Sidi’s music is steeped in Malian culture and traditions. The winner of two Malian national awards for best singer, Sidi also led Gao’s regional orchestra, The Songhaï Stars. In Toubalbero, his latest release, Sidi creates a danceable, dynamic and joyous album that is an exuberant and irresistible call for unity and peace for Malians and Africans.
