The River
With guests on harmonica, saxophone, fiddle and bodhrán, including two members of the Chieftains.
Ali Farka Touré, 1990
- Released
- 1990
- Studio
- Cold Storage Studios, Brixton; Studio Bolibana, Paris; The Garden Studios
- Label
- World Circuit / Mango
- Producer
- Nick Gold and Philippe Bertrand
The River was recorded at Cold Storage Studios in Brixton, with additional recording at Studio Bolibana in Paris and The Garden Studios, and mixed at The Elephant Recording Studio. Nick Gold and Philippe Bertrand produced it. World Circuit released it in the UK and Mango distributed it internationally.
Rory McLeod plays harmonica on Heygana, Steve Williamson plays tenor saxophone on Ai Bine, and Seán Keane and Kevin Conneff of the Chieftains play fiddle and bodhrán on Kenouna. Touré picks up the njarka for the closing Instrumental. In the Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave it an A minus and applauded its "variety, not compromise".
Track listing
- Heygana5:59
- Goydiotodam6:25
- Ai Bine6:21
- Tangambara5:22
- Toungere7:32
- Jungou7:23
- Kenouna5:02
- Boyrei5:23
- Tamala8:06
- Lobo6:44
- Instrumental2:59
Personnel
- Ali Farka Touré vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, njarka
- Amadou Cissé calabash, percussion, vocals
- Mamaye Kouyaté ngoni on tracks 3 and 7
- Rory McLeod harmonica on Heygana
- Seán Keane fiddle and bodhrán on Kenouna
- Kevin Conneff fiddle and bodhrán on Kenouna
- Steve Williamson tenor saxophone on Ai Bine
- Nick Gold producer
- Philippe Bertrand producer and recording engineer
More from Ali Farka Touré
Ali Farka Touré (1987), The Source (1992), Talking Timbuktu (1994), Niafunké (1999), In the Heart of the Moon (2005), Savane (2006), Ali and Toumani (2010), Voyageur (2023)
Sources
- The River (Ali Farka Touré album), Wikipedia
- The River (WCB 017), Discogs
- The River (World Circuit master), Discogs
- Ali Farka Touré, Robert Christgau