In the Heart of the Moon – Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté (2005) – Album Review

Album: The Altar

Artist: Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté

Label: World Circuit (UK) / Nonesuch (US)

Release Date: June 13, 2005

In the Heart of the Moon is what happens when two men with centuries of sound running through their souls, pour their spirit into the larger collective aether we call humanity. What’s amazing about this album, is that it was recorded live without overdubs, on a hotel by the river, literally on the banks of the Niger – which means you’re capturing the spontaneous interplay between Touré’s guitar and Diabaté’s kora. The resulting sound is organic, patient and deeply personal. You can almost hear the humidity between the notes, as they rise like old spirits called back from another place.

This album is a landmark – an intimate, quiet masterpiece that captures two legendary musicians at the peak of their craft. The songs are mostly traditional pieces from Mali’s Songhai and Mandé cultures, but the arrangements are completely unique. here’s no climax. No crescendo. Just long stretches of memory, dust, string and silence. The world may be falling apart, but here, for about 56 minutes, two men knew exactly what they were doing and everything was okay again.

Would definitely recommend.