Ai Du

Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder, 1994. Solo by Ali Farka Touré.

Touré's rolling picking pattern here is often compared to the hill-country blues of North Mississippi.

Ai Du is a showcase for Ali Farka Touré's rolling, repetitive picking, and it is often compared to the hill-country blues of North Mississippi. His pattern loops steadily, with small variations in accent and pitch that keep it alive over the song's length. The groove has a quality that anyone familiar with that trance-like Mississippi style will recognise instantly, though Touré always insisted on his own roots. The track is a strong argument for how deeply guitar traditions can echo across oceans. Listen for the way the bass notes and melody share a single, continuous pattern, the thumb and fingers working together as if two guitarists were playing at once.

Ai Du by Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder is featured in our Desert Blues (#11) list. The solo is played by Ali Farka Touré and the song was released in 1994.

In our lists

• The Greatest Desert Blues Guitar Songs — #11
• The Best Ali Farka Touré Guitar Solos — #5

Sources