The son of the late, great Ali Farka Touré definitely does not live under his father's shadow. After his impressive self-titled debut two years ago, he emerges with Fondo (Six Degrees) , a disc that explores and expands Malian blues with a more global perspective.
Since his first disc came out, Touré has been engaged in a whirlwind of activity - just last year, he went on extensive US tours and also appeared alongside Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley and Senegalese multi-instrumentalist Cheik Lô
Stop Making Sense
Music-business legend Gary Kurfirst passed away from undisclosed causes while on vacation in Nassau, the Bahamas, January 13. A venue owner, talent manager, film producer and label founder, Kurfirst opened New York City's Village Theater, later known as the Fillmore East, in 1967. That same year, he began managing hard-rock band Mountain ("Mississippi Queen"), and ran a handful of talent agencies over the years whose clients included Toots & the Maytals, Peter Tosh, Talki
Peter Tosh
The Ultimate Experience (Shanachie)
www.shanachie.com
More than 20 years since Peter Tosh's 1987 assassination, the Wailers co-founder's legacy (as well as Bob Marley's) live on around the world, but that rings especially true in his native Jamaica, where he burst out of poverty and misery to become one of the most recognizable names in reggae. On a recent trip to the island - I stayed in a hotel close to Negril beach, not far from Bob Marley's house, which has become a tourist a
When the calendar hits April 20, thoughts turn to man's other best friend: the marijuana plant. Yes, along with copious amounts of Reese's Pieces and trips to the nearest Jack in the Box drive-thru, almost everyone agrees nothing goes better with the reefer than reggae. (Personally, give us Sleep's Dopesmoker, Adult Swim on the TiVo and some chicken strips.)
Invariably, when most people think about reggae, Bob Marley comes to mind. No doubt he was one of the best ambassadors of the genre to
This past week marks the 64th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S., on August 6 and 9, respectively, bringing an end to World War II. The subsequent decades have brought us a Cold War, explosive proliferation, and largely fruitless attempts to eliminate the threat presented by nuclear weapons. And while we no longer live with the spectre of nuclear annihilation constantly hovering over us like we did in the '70s and '80s, the danger remain
