Ali Farka Touré

Malian singer and guitarist from Kanau, Mali (1939–2006). Called 'the African John Lee Hooker' but the influence arguably runs the other way. Talking Timbuktu (1994, with Ry Cooder) won a Grammy. Hypnotic, deeply spiritual desert blues rooted in Songhai and Peul traditions. Posthumous album Ali (2023).