Tamalla

Recorded in Houston at Terminal C for the collaborative album Ali, with Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin working with Steve Christensen, who handled recording and mixing; Eric Herman served as associate producer. The album was conceived in 2019 and finished in 2021 as a tribute to Ali Farka Touré. “Tamalla” appeared on Ali, a 2022 homage to Ali Farka Touré that reframed his music for a new audience through Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin’s collaboration. The release was presented by Dead Oceans as part of a record meant to honor Ali’s legacy while giving the songs new life. The track continues to matter as part of a widely heard tribute album that introduced Ali Farka Touré’s repertoire to Khruangbin’s audience and extended the reach of Malian guitar music. Its afterlife is tied to the album’s role as a modern gateway to desert blues and to later interest in the collaboration itself.