ONE is turning to its community of artists, friends, members and staff for their top picks on creative works that have enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the richness of African culture and arts. Today we have a recommendation from our ONE team, Peter Griesar.

This week I had the pleasure of hearing Vieux Farka Touré and his band perform here in Washington, DC. Vieux is the son of the late Ali Farka Touré – the Godfather of Malian Blues.

Malian Blues is characterized by loping rhythms and slow rolling grooves, musical equivalents of the camel trek and the weaving Niger River. Vieux’s music is no exception, but his river flows from there through a far more complex landscape; a place where tradition and modernity begin to coexist, then coalesce into joyful revelation.

With his new album Fondo, Vieux and his to this world of his making, a slow river through the intertwining histories of Malian Blues, American Roots, Rock, and Reggae. As Vieux said, “We are all brothers and sisters – I have a very big family!”

Note: Vieux will be sharing some of his recommendations this summer in the A List.

-Peter Griesar