In this clip you can listen to the legendary Ali Farka Toure singing one of the most beautiful love songs on this planet. Soukora is a song recorded for the LP/CD Talking Timbuktu that was released in 1994.
Talking Timbuktu was a muscial collaboration between the man and African blues musician extraordinaire, who was called the Johnny Lee Hooker of Mali, Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder. The collaboration between the two men crossed cultural boundaries in the most beautiful way.
The combination of both musicians who are two of the greatest guitar players on different continents on this planet is unbeatable. What politics can not achieve, music does.
Soukara is sung in the Bambara language. I brought a lot of music from Mali but Talking Timbouctou is still one of my favourite recordings of all times. Where I go Talking Timbuktu goes with. A decade later it still creates the same emotions as when I listened to it for the first time.
The Malians are great poets and very romantic people. Soukara means night.
” My love it is night now, Wait for me my love. I love you. And I love the night. I like it when it is peaceful at night, Wait for me my love, it is night now. Just wait for me my darling”
Nara - La Saheliènne 
Fascinating blog – I have been coming back every couple of days when I have a moment. Thank you for finding mine so that I found yours! (I just ordered “Talking Timbuktu” from Kalarhari.com.)
Reblogged this on Photography and Music.
Hi. I am a musician wishing to play my own take on ‘Soukora’ because I love the song so much. I would like to try to sing the original words, which you say is in the ‘bambara’ language. I’m just wondering if the words can be found anywhere – either in the original or even in translation? Have been looking everywhere, but so far no luck…..may just have to phonetically copy what is on the recording…..? Cheers, Hallam.
Thank you for this post, I was looking for the meaning of the lyrics and I came across your post.