Ali Farka Touré

Ali Farka Toure in 2005

Ali Farka Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of Africa's most famous musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its derivative, African American blues. He was a pioneer of African desert blues. Touré was number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 37 on Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".