Vieux Farka Touré returns to Songlines Encounters Festival with a Fundraising Gig for Gaza

Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré is the latest artist announced for Songlines Encounters Festival this May. Performing on Friday May 17 at Kings Place, all proceeds from the concert will be donated to aid efforts in Gaza.

Son of esteemed musician Ali Farka Touré, Vieux has followed in his father’s footsteps with ease, making his own mark as a star through a varied and adventurous career: starting out initially as a calabash player then transitioning his pursuits to the guitar. Vieux Farka Touré’s six solo albums showcase his craftmanship in combining Malian folk with deep Songhai traditions and the desert blues for which his father was known. His last solo album arrived in 2022: Les Racines, an album that addressed the unrest in his home country of Mali. In that same year he also released a collaborative tribute to his late father with Houston-based Khruangbin, Ali.

Vieux Farka Touré will return to the Songlines Encounters Festival stage this year, performing with his quartet on Friday May 17. Proceeds from the concert will be donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians and the European Legal Support Center.

He joins an exciting and diverse line-up including Moroccan Gnawa musician Asmâa Hamzaoui and her band Bnat Timbouktou; The Scorpios, a Sudanese group melding together Arabic rhythms and Eastern funk. Argentine folk/experimental artist Soema Montenegro is also taking to the stage as well as Munich-based singer Enji, who will be closing the festival with her blend of jazz and traditional Mongolian folk.

Songlines Encounters Festival will take place May 16-19 at Kings Place, London. For more information visit the Kings Place website here.