Toumani Diabaté wanted to record a second album with his hero Ali Farka Touré. Therefore, in 2005, prior to a joint tour, he arranged three studio days in London. Ali Farka was surprised, but participated. Touré was sometimes forced to interrupt a song because of the pain in his bones. A year later, Touré had died from the effects of cancer. Toumani describes how intimate Ali's guitar playing
… sounded when he thoughtlessly strummed ahead in his hotel room. Toumani wanted to hear that timbre on this album. In contrast to their previous duet album In The Heart Of the Moon, the tone of this CD is therefore calmer and acoustic. With the exception of one new composition by Toumani, the duo chose songs that Ali Farka Touré had played from an early age. Most of those songs have never appeared on Touré's 'western' releases before. This album therefore sounds brand new and very much alive. (PdK)more
