As the son of Ali Farka Toure, a world-famous musician, guitarist and Grammy winner, he grew up with music. "Thanks be to God, I have it in my blood, in my genes." But he did not grow up with a sense of entitlement. His father taught him, he said, that music is a job; life is something else.

"I don't work for money. You can't just eat money; if you do, it comes back up. But I believe that if you have something, you must share it with those who don't."

It is not his goal just to "throw money at the alliance. My father used to say that if you throw a stone at one head, you might miss, but if you throw a stone into a crowd, you will hit a mark. With my association with the alliance, we will hit the mark."

Toure has previously been working on his own, particularly with malaria prevention, but, he's excited with this new partnership. "This is a group I know I can trust.

Toure spends about eight months a year on the road, explained Cohen, who is actually a native of Salt Lake City. Cohen worked for Ali Farkar Toure until his death three years ago, "and then I sort of inherited his son, Vieux." But she couldn't ask for anyone better to work with, she said.

Toure and his band toured Europe in May, were in the United States in June, and go back to Europe for a big rock fest in July.

"He will go back to Mali to get married, then come back to the United States in September, do Europe in October and November, tour France in December, and go to Australia, Japan and India in January," she said.

His extraordinary musical talent has given him many opportunities, says Yei. "It's an amazing opportunity to have his collaborate with us. He wants to give something back. This is win-win for us both."

Toure's music may come from his heart. But spend any time talking with the young, world-famous musician, and it is easy to see that his heart is in a good place.

E-mail: carma@desnews.com