VIEUX ANEW: FARKA ME 2

“Hendrix of the Desert:” don’t you just love that name they try to hang on Vieux Farka Toure’, son of Ali, son of Ishmael and Mariam?  Yeah, about as much as I love PR rap in general, and ad copy in particular.  About as much as I love the attempt to fit Alex Cuba with the title “Hendrix of the North” or “Hendrix of Kootenay” or whatever it was, a few years ago.  The problem, in both cases, is that it’s just not accurate.  Alex Cuba’s pop guitar stylings are wonderful, but closer to Eddie Van Halen than those of His Majesty Hendrix.  And I dig Vieux, too, but he ain’t Hendrix; hey, he’s not even from the desert!  Hometown Niafunke is still the Sahel, not Sahara, last time I checked, and he obviously has sub-Saharan—not Semitic or Berber—physical characteristics, as the neighboring Tuareg do. 

Let’s not discuss language.  His father spoke five or six, mostly unrelated.  His father’s Ali Farka Toure’, of course, R.I.P., African folk blues legend and performer extraordinaire, regardless of whether you buy into Scorsese’s characterization of him as the “DNA of the Blues.”  We won’t talk about their military ‘Arma’ caste’s connections far to the north, maybe as far as Europe.  The word ‘Arma’ sounds familiar.  But that’s where Vieux gets his chops.  Whereas Dad was an acoustic picker, Vieux’s an unabashed Fender bender.  Give him a Martin, and they’ll be almost identical.  Hendrix was at his best jamming, remember, and jamming is not Vieux’s forte IMHO.  He works best in his comfort zone.   

Not that I have any complaints about the Hendrix hagiography.  As far as I’m concerned it should be a verb: to ‘Hendrix’ something is to ace the serve, do something at the highest level.  If someone were to ever ask me what constitutes my relationship with words, I’d probably respond that I’d like to do with words what Hendrix does with music, bending the strings of language, applying intricate and delicate poetic lead-guitar embroideries on top of a warp-and-weft power-chord magic carpet.  Probably; I’m not sure.  No one’s ever asked me.  Hey, I’d like to do to a woman what Hendrix does to a guitar…and not just any woman either…ah, that felt good.

Nevertheless Vieux will be at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena tonight 7/12, strumming for free.  I’ll be there…in spirit (hey, I’ve seen him at least thrice before already).  Other best bets this weekend look like Luis Conte at LACMA on Saturday evening and Yemen Blues at Levitt LA on Sunday, all free.  C U there?  Mais oui, mes amis…