Ali Farka Touré, Ry Cooder – Talking Timbuktu (VG+/VG+) – 2xLP, UK 2015

Talking Timbuktu is an LP by Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Touré from 2015 released on the World Circuit label.

About this album

Talking Timbuktu is a landmark cross-cultural blues album, bringing together Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré with American slide guitarist Ry Cooder. Released in 1994, the record blends West African song forms with American blues traditions in a way that feels both natural and quietly revelatory. Its acoustic setting gives space to Touré’s desert-blues phrasing, Cooder’s lyrical guitar lines and the supple backing of a small ensemble, creating a conversation across continents rather than a simple fusion exercise. Widely praised on release, the album helped introduce Touré to a broader international audience and remains one of the most celebrated examples of global blues collaboration.

Genre: Global