For a country with a population of just under 14 million today, Guinea possesses a surprisingly rich musical heritage. As in many former colonies, the leaders of newly independent states did a great deal to make that possible.
Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinea’s first president, dissolved all private orchestras and created a network of state-supported groups whose music was released on the Syliphone label from the mid-1960s until Touré’s death in 1984. There are said to have been more than 250 such ensembles, all intended to promote the spirit of authenticité. This compilation offers a particularly compelling selection: »So I Si Sa« by the Super Boiro Band sets the tone with a brief organ intro before relaxed polyrhythms meet radiant horns, while no fewer than two guitarists lay the foundation for a sweat-inducing jam session. It continues with Bembeya Jazz National, arguably one of Guinea’s finest bands. Sékou »Diamond Fingers« Diabaté unfurls a pearling guitar line that leads directly into an easy-grooving song with Cuban overtones.
Most of the tracks move between such laid-back pieces and feverish dancefloor ecstasies, celebrating magical connections between West African traditions and Western music. What also makes Syliphone’s releases so remarkable, however, is their recording quality – enough to make often better-known counterparts from neighbouring countries such as Mali or Senegal envious. The originals are now frequently unaffordable. Which makes Music For A Revolution Vol. 2 all the more timely as a reminder of this flowering moment in West African music.
