The Touré-Raichel Collective
| The Touré-Raichel Collective | |
|---|---|
| Origin |
 Mali  Israel |
| Genres | World, Blues, Jazz |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Cumbancha |
| Website | http://www.toureraichel.com |
The Touré-Raichel Collective is a musical group led by Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and Israeli singer and pianist Idan Raichel. The group's debut album, The Tel Aviv Session, was released on Cumbancha in March 2012.[1]
History
In 2008, after a chance meeting at an airport terminal in Berlin, Germany, Raichel and Touré forged a friendship and promised to perform together in concert. This desire finally came to fruition in November 2010 with the duo performing at the Tel Aviv Opera House.[2] The following day after the concert an impromptu get together was held at a small recording studio in Tel Aviv.[3] Joining Vieux and Idan in the studio were Israeli bassist Yossi Fine and Malian Calabash player Souleymane Kane. According to Raichel, the group "recorded a mix of Malian rhythms mixed with Israeli melodies — all originals, but very influenced from both our cultures."[4] This spontaneous and improvised acoustic recording session lasted for three hours and marked the birth of The Touré-Raichel Collective. The group's debut album, The Tel Aviv Session, was released by Cumbancha on March 27, 2012.[5] The group toured in North America (with Amit Carmeli on bass) in March and April 2012.[6] The Touré-Raichel Collective completed a European tour in Fall 2012 and another European tour is planned for Spring 2013.[7] They have a new album which is planned to be released in fall 2014.
Reception
The group has received largely enthusiastic critical reception. Derek Beres of The Huffington Post stated: “[The Touré-Raichel Collective] execute their craft so diligently and passionately that spontaneous improvising results in rich and symbolic gestures of art.” [8] David Maine of PopMatters declared: "This is the best record you will hear this year." [9]
The The Tel Aviv Session reached the number one spot on the iTunes World Music sales charts and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard World Music Chart.[10]
See also
- African fingerstyle guitar
- African music
- Music of Israel
Discography
- The Tel Aviv Session (March 27, 2012)
- The Paris Session (September 30, 2014)