Since his infancy, Bouriema “Vieux Farka” Touré has been enamored with the music of his father, Ali Farka Touré. He grew up both in Mali's capital city, Bamako, and in his father's home-town of Niafunké in the Sahara desert—both teeming with rich musical life. During his childhood, Vieux proved himself a precocious talent as a percussionist, particularly on the drum kit and on calabash. Ali quickly took note of his son's musical gift and grew concerned about his future. Having suffered in the music industry, Ali did not want his son to follow his path as a musician. He forbid Vieux to play music and ordered Vieux to become a soldier instead. Stubbornly, Vieux began to play along with his father's recordings in hiding, determined to pursue his musical aspirations. In 1999, Vieux—now a young man—decided to take his destiny into his own hands. He enrolled in the National Arts Institute in Bamako, openly defying his father's wishes. It was there that Vieux discovered his musical calling and began to play guitar and compose music. By the time he left the Arts Institute, he was a locally celebrated guitar virtuoso, able to emulate his father's playing near-perfectly. Word began to spread throughout Bamako that Ali's successor was emerging. It was then that Toumani Diabaté—the world's premiere kora player—first took notice of Vieux, and brought him into his performing ensemble. Recognizing Vieux's gift, Toumani urged Ali to accept his son's chosen path. So Ali entrusted Toumani with the reins of Vieux's career. Under Toumani's guidance, Vieux flourished artistically; he performed in France and South Africa and he even began accompanying his father on guitar. Furthermore, he began to compose stunning pieces that brought new sounds and influences into the tradition of desert blues from Northern Mali. In 2005, Vieux reconnected with his friend Eric Herman, a North American musician and producer with whom Vieux had played while he was a student at the Arts Institute. Both Vieux and Eric realized that it was time that Vieux record his debut album. They quickly got to work in the studio. Toumani agreed to contribute his awesome talent on two of the tracks. Meanwhile Ali—growing increasingly sick with cancer—offered his final recordings to Vieux's album, an expression of his ultimate approval of his son's path, passing him the torch with which to light his way.