Wara

Let me begin by apologising: this is probably the worst cassette of the Horoya Band I have. The sound is somewhere between medium wave and shortwave radio, including some of the wave effects.

But the music...

The bootlegger responsible for this cassette, which was bought in Guinea in 1988, has made a few minor errors (nothing compared to what some of the 'reputable' European producers have conjured up) in writing down the titles, because the first track is clearly "Sasilon", which can be found on Discothèque 74 (SLP 48). But the title of the second track is not "Keme Bourema", but "Wara" (lion). And this is one of these rare tracks that will last you a lifetime. Even after over twenty years this brilliant interpretation of this malinké classic by this exceptional orchestra from Kankan still manages to grab me straight by the throat, right from that majestic beginning to the tragically sudden fade-out, after nearly twelve minutes of pure bliss. I particularly would like to draw your attention to the exemplary rhythm guitar playing.
And it doesn't stop there.

The B-side opens with another classic: "Baninde" (child of the Bani river). Another proof that the border between Guinea and Mali is not a cultural border, because this is a song from the repertoire of the griots of Kela, and more specifically a song generally associated with the legendary Siramori Diabaté. Judging by the fact Horoya also covered her "Kanimba", this can't be a coincidence.
You have to fill in the sound of the fantastic horn section from memory*, but this is certainly one of my favourite versions of "Baninde", and certainly more 'majestic' than the mid-tempo(but also great!) version by Les Messagers.

The second track, "Famadenke", is another malinké classic. The link to Sékou Touré is even more apparent in this song, as it is an ode to Samory Touré's son. This site (or English) not only gives an explanation of the song, but also a translation.

The last track again features on one of the Syliphone collections, in this case Discothèque 75 (SLP 49). Going by the overall sound I think all of the tracks of this cassettes are roughly from the same period (the mid-1970s). And this brings me to the main mystery behind this cassette: what happened to the three tracks (i.e. "Wara", "Baninde" and "Famadenke")? Why were these brilliant songs never released on the Syliphone label?

GD 7051 cassette

* for those with a sudden attack of memory loss, and those who have erroneously purchased the Syllart re-editions, here are "Sasilon" and "Artistes" from SLP 48 and SLP 49.

Trio fédéral

A few days ago I heard that Stern's are planning another release in their Syliphone series. And -three cheers for Stern's- it will be a double cd of the Horoya Band. That's certainly good news.

In the mean time, and partly as a foretaste of this compilation, here is an album on the Syliphone label with three tracks by the Horoya Band, three by Kebendo Jazz and four (!) by Niandan Jazz. The lp was released, according to the sleeve notes to highlight three of the thirty federal orchestras, which were rising to a level close to that of the five national orchestras. But more remarkably the notes state that these orchestras next (the lp is from 1971) will produce a 'grand volume-identité' to present their musical personality. The only orchestra to in fact produce an entire album after this collection was the Horoya Band, and neither Kebendo Jazz nor Niandan Jazz ever released an lp on the Syliphone label!

If you have read my earlier posts about the Kebendo Jazz you won't be surprised when I tell you the Kebendo tracks are my favourites. "Soumba" is even in the top-ten of favourites of the Syliphone label. Apparently this is a shortened version of a track recorded slightly earlier by Kebendo Jazz (which I pray* will one day be released on CD in its full glory). Hearing the three Kebendo tracks I am again (see this post) left wondering what they did wrong? It can't have been the subjects of their songs; there is enough Sékou Touré, PDG and RDA in them to satisfy even the most orthodox of party members.....

The same, but to a slighty lesser degree, goes for Niandan Jazz. They featured on four compilations (SLP 19, 25 -i.e. this one-, 42 and 50), but never had their own lp. I can't seen why. Their orchestration is simply great, the singing perhaps not top-notch, but still better than others. "Fassouloukou" can compete with any of the songs on the first lp of Super Boiro Band (to name just one of the national orchestras). So where did they screw up?

I am sure you will like this album. I advise you to study the notes with the individual songs. To me they are one of the many attractions of the Syliphone label. But the main attraction remains, of course, that wonderful, incomparable and authentic Syliphone sound!

Syliphone SLP 25

* and don't ask me to whom...

Horoya live

This post is partly intended to point you into the direction of some very interesting videos, which have been uploaded to YouTube by Graeme Counsel (of the very instructive RadioAfrica website). Specifically I am referring to this superb video by the Horoya Band, recorded by Graeme in October 2008. The video offers proof that the Horoya Band is still very much alive and going very strong! I can't tell you how elated I felt when I saw this video. It means there is still hope I will be able to see this legendary orchestra. Judging by their performance in this video, I am expecting to be seriously steamrollered by them.



In the second part of this post I would like to carry on where I left off in an earlier post, i.e. with the Horoya Band in their mid-1980s glory. This cassette was brought back from Guinea in 1986, and features some tracks which I would label as classics from the post-Syliphone era. The track "Hakilimaya" has been released on some lp's too (which were mostly credited to Conde Demba 'chanteur du Horoya Band'). The quality of the recording is not very good, but the music - live and steaming - is brilliant.

Horoya live

PS: There are more great videos on the RadioAfrica video page!!

More from Algiers

Judging by the comments on the first post of this concert by the legendary Syli Orchestre National from Guinea, there seems to be some uncertainty about the musicians participating.

I am certainly not qualified to express an opinion, but I can try and help. Not just by sharing this video, but also by posting some photos from another version of this same video.

The latter is from a commercial video cassette titled "Justin Morel Junior présente L'Afrique en Fête" (JMJ Video KV 1950). Unfortunately the video shows little respect for the historic value of the images, because it contains more video effects (strange whirls, zooms, cross-fades and such) than clear footage.
And it also breaks off after just over 6 minutes!

So it seems there just isn't any more left of this track than these six minutes and 12 seconds....
But these minutes are precious, as I am sure you will agree.

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