October 03, 2008

Nanfoule

Some say the original is by Mahawa Kouyaté, but I think it's a traditional.

Balla et ses Balladins have a version, but it hasn't been included on the (nevertheless) brilliant collection from Stern's. And that's the only version on the Syliphone label.

A quick search on the web reveals a rap version (using the version by Morydjeli Deen Kouyaté*), a version categorized under Papua New Guinea and a few more.

Here are two more versions: the first is by the Simandou Jazz de Beyla (broadcasted on April 3, 1986 by the RTG), the second is a superb instrumental version by the Horoya Band. It's from a cassette attributed to the 'Horiya Band', which appears to be an attempt by a few of Horoya's musicians to survive in the post-Syliphone era. It's one of my favorite non-Syliphone cassettes from Guinea, - so I have included the whole cassette.



*I'll come back to him in a later post

EDIT (March 4, 2010): extra link

6 comments:

aduna said...

Hello,
An other famous version is (other title but same song):

Les Ambassadeurs/Salif Keita : N'toman (1979)
http://rapidshare.com/files/150770983/N_Toman.mp3

I think you're right, it's a traditional tune?
I like this Horiya Band du guinea tape. Do you know the release year?
Thanks a lot.

Aduna

see also the Africando/S. Keita version in 2000:
http://rapidshare.com/files/150771457/04_Ntoman__feat._Salif_Keita_.mp3

WrldServ said...

I'm afraid I don't hear the resemblance between N'Toman and Nanfoule.
Ethnomusicologist Eric Charry -by the way- writes that Nanfoule is a song protesting French colonial rule.

As to the release year of the cassette: it was bought in 1986.

aduna said...

It's quite the same melody, isn't it?

zim said...

thanks for this, even without their fantastic horns, the horoya cassette is very nice.

ReeBee said...

this work of Horoya is fantastic!
many thanks.

reservatory said...

Do you actually have the Balladins' Nanfoule 45? I would love to add it to the Balladins @ 45 Tours collection I posted awhile back. Any possibility of a post?