Samba Touré

Born on 15 June 1968, Samba grew up in Dabi, a small village in the Tombouctou region of Mali. Samba’s father passed away just before his birth, leaving his mother to raise him alongside his brother, Ibrahima ‘Bouri’ Séré. Although they could not afford formal education, he was surrounded by music from an early age and his mother was one of the first women to sing with the young Ali Farka Touré at the Biennale Festival in Mali. When he was old enough, Samba left for the Malian capital, Bamako, in the hopes of finding a job. During that time, he fell in love with the music of Ali Farka Touré, a true original who was transposing the traditional music of his native north Mali and single-handedly bringing the style known as desert blues to an international audience.

Samba was entranced by this master from Niafunké (near Tombouctou) and began to play the guitar in the same style, adapting his playing from traditional string instruments on to an electric guitar. After playing and singing in several bands, Ali Farka Touré offered him the unique opportunity to tour with him as part of his band at the end of the 90s. Delighted, Samba accepted and, while touring across Europe and the USA, his mentor opened his eyes to a variety of new influences. Farka Touré inspired him to create his own blues style and, on his return to Mali, formed Fondo. Samba then recorded two albums released for the Malian market only ('Fondo' in 2003 and 'Aïto' in 2007). In 2009, Samba released his first international album, 'Songhaï Blues', on Riverboat Records.

Samba Touré creates a harmonious blend of River Niger blues, traditional Songhai themes and Western influences. Like most Malian songs, Samba’s lyrics convey moral messages as well as introducing us to different elements of Malian culture, such as the importance of family. In 2010, Samba was invited to represent Ali Farka Touré's touch on Toumani Diabaté's 'Ali Farka Touré Variations Tour' where he played guitar and sung. That same year, he recorded a new album 'Crocodile Blues' released in 2011. In December 2011 in Bamako, Samba received the prestigious Tamani Award for the best international album of the year. It was followed by 'Albala' in 2013 on Glitterbeat Records. His latest album, 'Gandadiko', was due out in January 2015.