Vieux Farka Touré with Alpha Yaya Diallo (Past Event)

Live Music Events in Kelowna

Mali’s Guitar Royalty Lands In Kelowna

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Red Bird Brewing is honoured to welcome Vieux Farka Touré to Kelowna for a one-night-only performance on Tuesday, September 9th, from 7–10pm. Known around the world as “The Hendrix of the Sahara,” Vieux is one of the most electrifying guitarists performing today, and his Kelowna show is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated live music events in the Okanagan this year.

Born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981, Vieux is the son of the late Ali Farka Touré, the legendary Malian guitarist whose desert blues sound helped define West African music on the world stage. Ali initially discouraged his son from pursuing music, hoping instead that Vieux would become a soldier, but with the support of family friend and kora master Toumani Diabaté, Vieux won his father’s blessing shortly before Ali passed away in 2006. Some of the recordings father and son made together in Ali’s final days appear on Vieux’s self-titled 2007 debut album.

Since then, Vieux has built a career that honours his father’s legacy while forging a bold path of his own. His catalogue spans acclaimed studio albums like Fondo, The Secret (featuring Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, and John Scofield), and Mon Pays, a tribute to his war-torn homeland, alongside genre-crossing collaborations with Israeli artist Idan Raichel, New York vocalist Julia Easterlin, and Houston psych-rock trio Khruangbin, whose 2022 joint album Ali earned praise from Sir Elton John himself. In 2010, Vieux opened the FIFA World Cup in South Africa; today he continues to tour the globe, dazzling audiences with blistering guitar work, effortless charisma, and a stage presence that transcends any language barrier.


Beyond the music, Vieux is a committed humanitarian. He founded the charity Amahrec Sahel to support communities across Mali and the Sahel region, and he directs the Ali Farka Touré Foundation, dedicated to preserving his father’s legacy and nurturing Mali’s next generation of musicians.


Catch this rare Okanagan performance at Red Bird Brewing. Grab a pint from our extensive tap list, order a wood-fired pizza, and settle in for a night of desert blues. Tickets are limited, and this is a show you’ll be talking about for years.

Alpha Yaya Diallo

Opening the night is Alpha Yaya Diallo, a guitarist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist from Guinea, West Africa, now based right here in Canada.

Diallo has built a reputation as one of the hottest names on the world music scene, whether performing solo or with his band Bafing, and his live shows are known for their energy just as much as his musicianship. His acoustic and electric guitar playing is fluid, melodic, and deeply groove-driven, placing him among the top ranks of African guitarists working today. He’s also an accomplished percussionist and balafon player, and he writes and sings every one of his own compositions in a voice that’s supple, high, and beautifully expressive. Diallo’s sound draws on an unusually rich set of influences: growing up across different regions of Guinea as the son of a travelling doctor, he absorbed musical traditions from the Malinke, Soussou, and his own Fulani people, then picked up mbalax rhythms and Cape Verdean and Caribbean influences during time spent in Senegal.

That blend of tradition and innovation has earned him a place alongside African music icons like Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, and Mory Kanté. It’s the perfect way to kick off an evening celebrating the depth and breadth of West African guitar music.