32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 17-23, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com MUSIC Often called the “Hendrix of the Sahara,” Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré doesn’t revel too deeply in the moniker. “People say what they want,” Touré says. “People listen and everybody has their own opinions.” Touré was raised in a village in Mali’s capital city, Bamako. His father, Ali Farka Touré, was an internationally known guitarist in his own right, and the younger Touré liked what he heard at home. “My father was very cool—a great guitar player—and he exposed me to great music,” he says. “As a young boy, I listened to John Lee Hooker, B.B., Clapton. My father would put all of them on the big radio before school.” Touré began as a drummer, but he was soon secretly playing guitar— secretly, he says, because his father was trying to shield him from the inherent dangers of the music world. “I didn’t want to alarm him,” Touré says. “It was because when he started out, he got taken advantage of a lot. It was a hard life and he didn’t want me to have that. He wanted to protect me.” Faced with his son’s burgeoning talent, the two eventually began to collaborate. “When I first started to play with him I struggled to keep up,” Touré recalls, laughing. “It’s funny, sometimes the music chooses you. Learning guitar was surprisingly easy. It was almost like it was in my blood or something. Early in my career people asked why I wasn’t just following my father, but it was important for me to establish my own identity. Now that people know what I can do, I can return to those roots with pride—and, I hope, a certain authority.” The music echoes blues artists, yes, and even a bit of Hendrix. But its structure is deeply rooted in West African folk music, with traditional chants for its lyrics, bursting with life and unbridled energy. “In Mali, many people are illiterate and music is the main way of transmitting information and knowledge,” Touré says. “It’s important to me and to the Malian people that we stay connected to our roots and our history. We are nothing if we abandon respect for the past, but we can also marry modernity with the strength of our traditions.” Ultimately, however, Touré’s musical path is straightforward. “I just want to make people happy. Making people happy makes me happy,” he says. Vieux Farka Touré 7:30pm Thursday, April 17. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $35-$55. 620-2040, sunsetcenter.org. KISS DIOUARA Point of Vieux Malian guitar star Vieux Farka Touré blends blues and rock with West African tradition. By Paul Fried Although Vieux Farka Touré’s father was a guitarist of some fame, he at first tried to steer his son away from music. “He wanted me to be a soldier,” Touré says. INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DINING AND TAKEOUT Eat + Drink Monterey’s MOST Recommended Pizzeria Open at 4pm Mon-Thurs • Open at 3pm Fri Open at 12pm Sat.& Sun. 725 Lighthouse Ave, Monterey giannispizzamonterey.com 831-649-1500 Best Pizza ’98-’24 57 Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey 831-373-1851 www.abalonetti.com ’24 LUNCH & DINNER SERVED DAILY from 11:30am-8:30pm Monterey County’s Best Calamari OPEN EVERYDAY for DINNER at 4:30pm Offering all your favorites plus wine, cocktails, bottle and draft beers. 763 Wave St., Monterey 831.373.3778 thewhalingstation.com ’24 Best Steak Indoor and Outdoor Dining on the Dog Friendly Patio Tapas (Happy) Hour 4:30–6pm Nightly Saturday & Sunday Brunch 9am–1:30pm 700 Munras Ave., Monterey | 831-375-0176 | estebanrestaurant.com ’24 Best Appetizers/ Small Plates ’24 BEST RESTAURANT IN MONTEREY! JOIN US NIGHTLY FOR DINNER AT 5PM TWO HAPPY HOURS DAILY 5-6PM & 8-9PM Call or go to sardinefactory.com for details, reservations. 701 Wave Street, Monterey, 831-373-3775 BEACH HOUSE RESTAURANT + BAR @ LOVERS POINT ★ CASUAL CALIFORNIA DINING INDOOR & PATIO DAILY AT 4:30PM 620 OCEAN VIEW BLVD. PACIFIC GROVE 831-375-2345 • BEACHHOUSEPG.COM LOVERS POINT BEACH CAFE OPEN DAILY, 9AM–4PM ’24 Best Restaurant in Pacific Grove Wood Fired Pizzas, Burgers, Pasta, salads, sandWiches and more 11:30am mon-Fri, 10am Sat & Sun melvilletav.com 484 Washington St., Downtown Monterey 831.643.9525 haPPY hour Food & drinK sPecials Sun-Thurs 4-6pm WEEKEND BRUNCH WITH BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS Fisherman’s Wharf’s Newest Restaurant Serving Fresh Seafood, Pasta, Steaks, Sandwiches Open Daily at 11:30am Great views at the end of the Wharf #1 www.rockfishmonterey.com • 831.324.4375
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==