Gig review: Vieux Farka Touré at Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds

What must have made this already daunting discussion even more challenging was that the father was the late, legendary singer and guitarist Ali Farka Touré, in many ways the embodiment of the hypnotic sound referred to as ‘desert blues’ and undoubtedly the most revered musician to ever emerge from Mali.

Whether Vieux Farka Touré would have been able to resist the lure of performing even if parental permission had not been forthcoming is a moot point based on tonight’s bravura performance.

US blues legend John Lee Hooker (whose sparse style bears a striking resemblance to the deceptively simple vamps of desert blues from the Sahara region) sang of people who were born to play the blues: “it’s in him, and it’s got to come out.”

Hitting the stage at the sold-out Belgrave with an air of cool and jovial confidence that strongly suggests this is his precise purpose on the planet, Vieux Farka Touré – sporting an extremely rock ’n’ roll pair of sunglasses – gives every impression of being one of those people who have no choice but to perform.

Having returned to his desert blues roots with 2022’s much-acclaimed Les Racines, Vieux Farka Touré collaborated with Texan trio Khruangbin on often drastically reimagined renditions of songs associated with Ali Farka Touré on last year’s magnificent album Ali.

Supported by a bassist and drummer/percussionist, tonight’s 90-minute set is shorn of that album’s plush, subtly dub-influenced environs, but it is no less atmospheric and powerful.

Audiences tend to remain subdued when faced with slow-burning acoustic numbers. Tonight’s contemplative set openers – with Vieux Farka Touré on acoustic guitar – are welcomed like high octane rock anthems by the capacity crowd.

No wonder: they provide a peerless masterclass in the hypnotic prowess of desert blues, wherein what seems simple and perhaps even a bit flat on first glance quickly gives way to complex rhythmic patterns and exuberant reserves of natural funkiness, with sparse vocal melodies that are difficult to shake off.

If the acoustic openers offer alluring glimpses of Vieux Farka Touré’s talents as a guitarist, the 42-year old’s guitar hero credentials are fully confirmed as soon as he picks up an electric guitar.

Vieux Farka Touré’s quicksilver combination of rhythm and lead and nimble-fingered riffs – not to mention the extended workouts that the electric tunes frequently bloom into, with the rhythm section keeping a keen eye on where the star of the show might be heading to next – prove that being a virtuoso doesn’t have to lead to antiseptic displays of technical excellence and ego-stoking showing-off.