Musician Ali Farka Touré Dies

Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré passed away on March 7 in his native Mali. He was in his late 60s and had been battling bone cancer for some time. Touré was a wildly accomplished musician, who played guitar in a style that blended Malian griot traditions with American blues stylings. His work earned him two Grammy Awards, one of which he won just a month ago at the 2006 Grammy Awards for his album In The Heart of the Moon, which he recorded with kora player Toumani Diabate. He was a musician of unsurpassed talent and will be sorely missed.