This week we are trundling west from Ghana to Guinea. According to Google Maps it is a 36 hour drive from Accra to Conakry - head along the coast to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, then north until you get to Korhogo at which point you turn left and follow the N7 over the border into Guinea after which take the N17 the rest of the way.
Guinea borders six countries but in musical terms its closest neighbour is Mali to the north-east, perhaps because in both countries the Mandinka are the largest ethnic group and there is some shared cultural heritage, including in the role of griots who as well as being musicians are seen as oral historians and mediators.
One such griot was the man who is probably Guinea's only global star to date, the late Mory Kanté. He was born in Guinea and returned there later in life but his career began in Mali when he replaced Salif Keita as the lead singer of the famed Rail Band in 1973 before later going solo.
Mr. Kanté's biggest international hit was "Yé Ké Yé Ké" which topped the charts in various parts of Europe in 1988 and just crept into the Top 30 in the UK. However, this wasn't the original version of the song. That can be found on his 1984 album "A Paris", and it is that version I have gone with.
1984 also brought the death of Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea from independence in 1958 until his death and a man who had a major impact on the development of music in Guinea. Sékou Touré introduced 'authenticité', a cultural program that required musicians, writers, and artists to “look at the past” when creating their new works.
He took quite a hands on approach to the task by all accounts. As well as providing funding to set up a state record label (Syliphone) he was instrumental - no pun intended - in hiring musicians to form the Syli Orchestre National. As well as playing and recording in its own right, the Orchestre toured Guinea training local musicians and helping to set up other orchestras in each region.
One such orchestra was Kaloum Star, founded in 1969 in the Kaloum district of Conakry and led by Mamadou Barry. They released a few singles on Syliphone in 1974, of which today's selection was one, but no albums until the 1990s. Mr. Barry subsequently released a couple of solo albums this century, the most recent in 2016, but sadly left us in 2022.
One apparent beneficiary of Sékou Touré's hands on approach was our next artist, Sékouba Bambino. Various online sources claim that when the President heard him singing in a band in his (Sékouba's) home town a presidential decree was issued insisting that he be recruited to Bembeya Jazz, one of the best-known orchestras of the time. I don't think he was yet a member at the time of their video below.
After leaving Bembeya Jazz in the late 1980s Mr Bambino released many albums over the next 20 years or so, as a solo artist and with Africando. Today's choice comes from his 2006 album "C.A.N. History (1957-2006)" which judging by the title and album cover is a concept album about the African Cup of Nations. Why, I have no idea, but perhaps they will play some of it when this year's competition kicks off on Saturday. Guinea is in Group C, but its a tough draw.
When Bambino and a couple of other Guinean griots toured Europe in 1999 one of the backing singers was a young lady called Tiranké Sidimé. Inspired by the experience she went home to record her debut album, "Kèkörö", which was released the following year. "Assoumaya" comes from that album. La Tira Tira, as she is known to her fans, went on to have a glittering career and is still going strong.
Having impressed you with my deep knowledge of Guinean music the facade now starts to fall apart. I know absolutely nothing about our next act, Baba Djan. "Kan Kan" is the title track of an album he released in 1992, but I discovered it on a compilation called "Guinea Vibrations" that I picked up in a record shop in Paris years ago. It is a fine tune and that is good enough reason for including it as far as I am concerned.
Which brings us to the Mandatory African Reggae slot. Stepping up this week is Takana Zion. His latest album, last year's "Banjo Kafaan", sees him embracing salsa and Afrobeat. In accordance with the Bloggers' Protocol I prefer his earlier work like "Rasta Government" (2011) which includes this track, the title of which sounds like something Desperate Dan might say when Aunt Aggie brings him his cow pie.
"Yé Ké Yé Ké" - Mory Kanté
"Gbassikolo" - Kaloum Star
"Allez Africa" - Sékouba Bambino
"Assoumaya" - Tiranké Sidimé
"Kan Kan" - Baba Djan
"M'Bife" - Takana Zion
Some pretty enthusiastic dancing in these videos.
ReplyDeleteTerrific stuff.