Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Touré shared their latest collaboration on Wednesday, “Tongo Barra”. The track is the second single from the ensemble’s upcoming joint album, Ali, due out on September 23rd via Dead Oceans.
On Ali, Khruangbin joins Vieux in paying tribute to his late father, Ali Farka Touré, a celebrated Malian guitarist known as the “African John Lee Hooker” during his prolific career. Ali pioneered a style known as “desert blues” and enjoyed international success, eventually collaborating with U.S. blues great Ry Cooder on their joint 1994 album, Talking Timbuktu.
In much the same way his father’s transnational collaboration with Cooder bridged cultural divides, Vieux and Khruangbin aim to do the same with Ali. The latest single finds the Houston Thai-funk trio continuing to expand its arsenal of international sounds, as guitarist Mark Speer and Vieux coalesce to form a hypnotic groove. Khruangbin recently shared the stage with Vieux during their concert at the Prospect Park Bandshell in New York City earlier this month where they performed “Mahine Me”, a yet-unreleased track from Ali.
“I want this album to convey love,” Vieux said of the collaboration when it was first announced in July. “It is about the love that Ali brought into the world. It is about the love that I have for him and that Khruangbin has for his music. It is about pouring your love into something old to make it new again.”
“We made this album to honor Ali’s life and body of work,” Khruangbin added. “We hope this collaboration enlightens more people to Ali’s musical legacy.”
Check out the new Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Touré single, “Tongo Barra”, below or on your preferred platform. Ali is available here for pre-order and will arrive the day after Republic Day when Malai celebrates its independence.
Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré – “Tongo Barra” (Visualizer)
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