Ali Farka Touré

Born: 1939, Kanau, near Gourma Rharous (Timbuktu Region), Mali Died: March 7, 2006, Bamako, Mali Malian guitarist and best known exponent of Mali blues. Best known in the West for his work with Ry Cooder he was a winner of two Grammy awards for his Talking Timbuktu collaboration with Cooder and his 2005 release Heart Of The Moon with the kora player Toumani Diabaté. Mayor of his home town of Niafunké in Northern Mali on the edge of the Sahara, Touré also acted as a peacemaker in the Touareg rebellions of the mid 90s. He died after a long illness in March 2006, leaving a widow and 11 children.