VA - African Pearls Series (2008-2010)

Syllart is a French record label that has put a series called African Pearls. On this show we play music from four CDs of this series, featuring music from Guinea, Mali, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of the music is from the 1970's. Syllart is an awesome label, and this series is excellent, so check em out on the net! This show features music by Amadou N'Diaye, Orchestra Baobab, Bombenga et Vox Africa, Empire Bakuba, Quintete Sextete, Super Boiro Band, Les Ambassadeurs du Hotel de Bamako, L'Orchestre National A du Mali.





Congolese music is like the heartbeat of the African continent. The twin capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville on the banks of the River Congo supply the international music scene with a non-stop flow of creativity.

Rejuvenated by four generations of artists, Congolese music has remained true to the spirit of its founders. These two volumes devoted to second generation groups like African Jazz, OK Jazz, Rock A Mambo, African Fiesta, Bantous de la Capitale, and Festival Maquisard are an invitation to discover, or enjoy again, a music that is anchored in the history and culture of its people, but that has lost none of its freshness over the years.












Second in the ‘African Pearls’ series, emanating from the vast vaults of West African music passing through the hands of producer extraordinaire, Ibrahima Sylla.

"Guinean music was in the vanguard of African music…it was the musical beacon of Africa." Words by Maestro Mitoura Traoré, aptly reflecting the importance and influence of the renowned Guinean bands of the 1960s and 70s. Traoré was a trailblazer as the leader of Horoya Band National, one of the first Guinean bands formed after independence. Horoya Band National, as well as other bands such as Balla et ses Balladins, Kélétigui et ses Tambourinis, and Super Boiro Band were forerunners of the “cultural revolution”, whose official objective was to modernise traditional Guinean music and to restore national pride and dignity.

This cultural revolution, like many other radical events in Africa during the 1950s and 60s, found its roots in the fight for independence.












‘African Pearls’, having checked out Congo and Guinée with a 2CD set of each, now looks at the rich powerhouse of Mali.

All starts with the genius of Ibrahima Sylla, a prolific producer of West African music, fêted by Charlie Gillett as ‘The African Phil Spector’

This collection of pearls covers the period 1965-1985, much of this long before the coining of the term World Music, and preceding by over a decade the real discovery by Western audiences of the ‘Mali sound’ and the desert Blues phenomenon.

This great set goes to show that none of this is really new; that the sound was fermenting decades ago, and that the message was already strong – it’s just that the voice did not carry far enough first time round.












Volume 4 in the exceptional and highly acclaimed African Pearls series put together by Ibrahima Sylla the prolific producer of West African music and dubbed the African Phil Spector..…

The Republic of Senegal is located in the westernmost part of Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinee-Bissau and Mauritania. During the early stages of independence, Senegalese music took on the form of Rumba and African style Salsa as played by bands such as Ibra Kassé's Star Band, Pape Seck's Negro star,Tropical Jazz, l'Orchestre Baobab, and Labah Sosseh's Super International.

In the mid 70s, Senegalese musicians became aware that it was necessary to give credence to the rhythmical structures and instruments of their homeland thanks to groups like André Lo and Soleya Mama's Wato Sita, the Star Band, Star Number One and Ifang Bondi.

Senegalese music subsequently gained worldwide exposure thanks to artists such as Ismaël Lo, Youssou Ndour, Omar Pene, Thione Seck, Baba Maal, Xalam and Touré Kunda, but that, as they say, is an entirely different story.

This double CD represents the heart, the beauty and the Teranga Spirit of Senegalese music between 1964 and 1979.











In the 1970’s, Congolese musicians, bandleaders and singers began to break free from the influence of Cuban music. The Congolese sound became pure Rumba Rock, and its powerful rhythm and ringing guitars influenced many other orchestras on the African continent. This was an era of epic competition between the pioneering orchestras of African Jazz or OK Jazz.

This Rumba Rock compilation showcases a time where from both sides of the Congo River, tough musicianship, fierce competition, great singers, and talented bandleaders paved the way for a golden era of Congolese music.











Syllart continues his journey into African Music of the seventies… After Guinea let’s go to Mali!

Mali Electric is a loving tribute to this unprecedented Malian golden age, a decade of electric experimentations and terrific musical adventures.

In the 70’s Mali is thirsty of musical modernity, listening to James Brown, drinking Coca-Cola and getting away from both its parents and the former colonial power. Less radical in its revolution, Mali always stayed closer to France and the western world than neighbouring Guinea.

Malian music sounds more lyrical and elegiac, sometimes even more solemn than Guinean music. Griots play a significant role in the emergence of Mali’s modern music. They establish the link between the old Mande empire and the new independant state since 1960. Griots become the people voice and the regional orchestras the instruments of a terrific electric revolution. Malian musical modernity lays not in the Mande tradition but in the Bambara language with its pentatonic scales, more hypnotic, dancing and frenzy than malinké’s lyricism.












SYLLART’S MIGHTY AFRICAN PEARLS COLLECTION STRIKES BACK WITH AN ESSENTIAL VOLUME DEDICATED TO SENEGAL 70’S FUNKY SOUND.

More than any other countries in West Africa, Senegal was strongly influenced by Cuban music largely played by the ORTS (Radio Sénégal). Widely circulated, this afro-cuban repertoire stands at the bottom of modern Senegalese music.

Links between Dakar and Habana seem natural as evidenced by recordings of orchestras such as Star Band de Dakar or Orchestra Baobab and many bands within this musical constellation. The impact of Star Band is pivotal as well as the monickers « stars » and « étoiles » in the history of modern Senegalese music with bands such as Youssou N’Dour’s Super Etoile, Star Number One…

James Brown’s 1975 Dakar visit sets the country on fire, and opened a new era in music. As a result, Kelen ati leen, a wolof folk tale, shows the Orchestra Baobab’s mighty funk vision driven by Cissoko’s horn arrangements. Released on the wonderful « Visage du Sénégal », part of a serie of five lps released in 1975 thru Buur Records, it evidences a perfect Senegalese groove and stands as Dakar’s ultimate funk statement.












The new African Pearls, this time from Côte d’Ivoire!

A natural West African crossroads, Ivory Coast has always been at the forefront of African musical trends, be it black American music, Cuban rhythms, French pop, Mandingo lyricism, Ghanese high-life or Congolese fusion.

The seventy-two tribes of the Côte d’Ivoire, each with their dances and music, give the country a strong cultural heritage… and since 1975, much of West-African music fermented in the capital of the Ivory Coast, brewing an exceptional, timeless music.











In the late 1940s, the combined influences of jazz and European and Cuban music resonated on both sides of the Congo River. Brazzaville and Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, vibrated with a newfound electric modernity. In 1960, the two Congos, Belgian and French, became independent and forged a common Congolese cultural identity, which first expressed itself through music.

Western productions like American rhythm’n’blues, British rock, and French pop also infiltrated the local musical customs. The natural fluidity of the Lingala language, a common Bantu language used on both banks of the Congo since the 19th century, allowed many artists to reach out to the largest possible number of people, Lingala being mainly an oral language. Kikongo, French and Spanish were also widely used in popular songs.

During the 1960s, both Congos experienced outrageous economic growth, resulting in a pleasure-seeking society. The epic competition between the African Jazz Orchestra and its different off-shoots, such as Dr Nico, Grand Kallé and Tabu Ley, and also between Franco’s OK Jazz Orchestraand Verckys’ productions, stimulated local creativity. Every one of these Congolese orchestras, from the popular to the most obscure, became dance machines.