R.T.M.

I have been rummaging through my archives again and dug up some cassettes by Malian female singers. Singers who are perhaps relatively unknown in the western world. And there is a good reason for this, as Kandia Kouyaté (see earlier post, post and post) once explained to me.

One reason is that the music of these singers is uniquely directed at the local market. They sing at ceremonies like weddings and baptisms, at soirées (or 'sumu') and such. The scale of these events is usually such that most participants or persons attending are known to the singer, or people assisting the singer.

And that brings me to another, no - to the number one reason. This is, of course, an economic one. By praising, or at least singing about, respected, respectable and/or self-respecting members of the community the singer can make a good living. And in some cases even an excellent living. Anything from money, handbags, jewelry, items of clothing (pagnes but also silk, embroidered dresses etcetera) to cars and villas can be bestowed on a talented artist. The extent of gratitude on the part of the receiver of the praise is largely dependent of his or her social prestige, or at least the perceived social prestige.

And that is a key ingredient of Malian society: prestige. I have been to events where Malians friends did not dare show up, as they were - rightly - afraid that they would be the subject of griot flattery. As they were (temporarily) financially incapable to live up to their social status, they preferred to stay away. On the other hand I have seen poor Malians give away their family fortune when they fell into the hands of a griot who managed to hit the right button....

So that is why for most female griots there is no reason to gather fame abroad. Ironically the location of this talk with Kandia Kouyaté was Amsterdam......
But that is the subject of a future post.

This post is about one of the more succesful griots: Naini Diabaté. When I first travelled through Mali in the 1980s, there were plenty of stories going around about this singer, who was born in Bamako in 1963. One of the more spectacular ones was that Naini, being blind in one eye, during a heated performance had miscalculated the extent of the stage and had fallen into the crowd. Others claim that she was the first female griot to perform on Malian television in 1983, at the newly constructed (and Libyan funded) broadcasting centre of the R.T.M.. I have my doubts about this claim, but it is reasonably certain that Naini Diabaté rose to fame as a result of her television performances.

Seeing this video from a performance in (probably) 1988 will give you an idea why.


Naini in turn repaid the R.T.M. by singing its praise. And, if you ask me, this praise is well deserved. For the Radiodiffusion Télévision du Mali, which was renamed "Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision du Mali (ORTM)" in 1992, has served Mali - and in particular Malian culture - well. Not just by the many televised performances by Malian artists, but also by the wide range of audio recordings made at their studios. Many of which - by the way - were subsequently released on record or cassette outside Mali.

This is not the case with the cassette Naini recorded for Beny Mariko's label in 1988. I really like this cassette. And not just for the memories which it evokes for me. Not just in the title song "R.T.M." (yes again), but particularly in songs like "An Sako Be Ke", with its variety in amplitude, and the deeply soulful "Sory", the overwhelming "Diamou Niagale" and the skillful "Diagneko" Naini Diabaté demonstrates her maturity and tremendous power as a singer.

You can find more great videos by Naini Diabaté on Ngoniba's great Youtube channel.

Beny Mariko BM-018, 1988 [new link June 3, 2014]

Compelling

These two songs are guaranteed to get stuck in your long-term memory. They have been firmly lodged in mine since I digitised this single from my friend Pieter, who in those days used to fly to Abidjan regularly. Before you know it you'll be singing along with the chorus, as I do occasionally and in the most unexpected places (queueing in the supermarket, in the shower, during a meeting at work). Luckily I have learnt to suppress the tendency to sing out loud.

The drive and rhythm of these two songs - probably from the mid-1970s - by Amédée Pierre and l'Ivoiro Star (who you may remember from this post or this one or this one) can only be described as compelling. The A-side, titled "Vla" (which just for this reason will hit home with any Dutch readers*), is a moralistic story narrated partly in french about an owl (chat huant) who keeps everybody awake at night with his screeching and who the chef du village wants to have killed. I am not quite sure how the moral ("So - to conclude - I ask all my brothers from Africa to help each other, for trouble affecting one individual may affect everyone.") fits in, but perhaps some francophone reader can explain?

Apart from the rhythm and the chorus the organ especially sticks out. I adore the sound of the instrument in this particular song.

The same organ is back on the B-side "Aze-Ni". This song is even more compelling than the A-side. Just listening to it can lead to shortness of breath or even hyperventilation. But that is, in this case, a risk well worth taking!

NAP 04

* "Vla" is a - in my personal opinion very nasty - type of Dutch custard.

Omission

You may have read my complaints in earlier posts about the multiple omissions in the digitisation of the works of Franco and his O.K. Jazz. To be fair these omissions are negligible compared to what has happened with the repertoire of the other 'Grand' of the music of Congo. For of the spectacular (and this is an understatement!) music of Joseph Kabasele and his African Jazz only mere snippets have been converted to digital form.

And what has been released has been often sadly accompanied by no or incorrect information. Or it has been released in a unbelievably mangled form (e.g. Sonodisc CD 36579 and 36582). Or re-recordings by Kallé himself have been released as the original versions (Sonodisc CD 36560 and 36561).
Ntesa Dalienst mentioned in 1991 that the family of le Grand Kallé had been unsuccesful in claiming the copyrights of their father (and uncle) with the Belgian SABAM. So it seems that there is little hope of a structured and comprehensive release of the extensive African Jazz catalogue (but I am nevertheless still hopeful that someone will prove me wrong).

Perhaps as a result of the greater western 'input' most of the recordings of African Team have been preserved, and have been re-issued in digital form. Unfortunately these recordings do not - in my opinion - do justice to the great artist that Kabasele was.
So all in all it is not surprising that the appreciation of this Monument of African music has been lacking, especially amongst audiences that have not seen or heard him during his lifetime.

This is only a first attempt at helping out. The two singles I would like to share with you were recorded for the Surboum African Jazz label, but for a series (1000 etc.) of which I unfortunately have no details. It seems to me that these recordings were made in the mid-1960s, when Kabasele had revived African Jazz and was joined by Jean Bombenga, who previously had played with Jazz Africain, the band that Kallé had left behind in Congo at the time of the Table Ronde. Kallé and Bombenga together with Mathieu Kouka formed the vocal heart of this new edition of African Jazz. I suspect that the guitarist in these songs is André 'Damoiseau' Kambite, although Papa Noel also played with Kallé for a short while in that period. According Michel Lonoh (in his "Essai de Commentaire de la Musique Congolaise Moderne") the sax player in the August 1966 lineup was Michel Yuma (a.k.a. Michel Sax), who after the death of Franco joined the T.P.O.K. Jazz (and sadly passed away on December 29, 2005).

All four tracks demonstrate the vocal brilliance of the African Jazz during this era. The harmonies are unequaled, with solos by Kabasele in the second version of "Caisse D'Epargne" and the second part of "Somba Journal Special".
The composer of the song "Julie Aboi Ba Mbanda", a certain Rody, is completely unknown to me, but if anyone has any information about him, please let us know.
The first single has a slight bump in the middle, but fortunately still does not leave the groove, and the delightful music can still be enjoyed.

Surboum African Jazz AJ 1004 & AJ 1005

PS: The photo on the left, borrowed from Sylvain Bemba's "50 Ans de Musique du Congo-Zaïre", is from 1966. According to Bemba it shows - from left to right - Damoiseau, Kabasele, Bombenga, Mathieu Kouka, an unnamed artist (Joseph Diasemwa??) and on the far right Papa Noel. I have my doubts about the last name. It doesn't look like Papa Noel to me....

Survivor

I first met Zoumana Tereta when he took part in a rather prestigious project called "Fura, Opera Bambara", which toured through the Netherlands in March 1999. I remember it was a miserable day, - cold, wet (see photo on the right).
My interest in the tour was drawn not only by the fact I had been phoned by the producer Abdoulaye Diarra, but also because my friends Daouda 'Flani' Sangaré (see previous posts on this blog) and Zani Diabaté (see particularly this post) were participating. It actually was the first time I saw Flani dance without Alou Fané. Because he was not only singing, but also dancing.

Besides these stars from the Djata Band the Opera feature two great names from Malian comic theatre & television: Habib Dembelé, better known as "Guimba", and Michel Sangaré. Leading lady in the production was Guimba's wife, singer Fantani Touré. You can find the full line-up here (unfortunately only in Dutch, but I guess you can still sort out the names..).

We saw them perform in Amstelveen and a few days later in Utrecht, where we joined them afterwards for a chat and a drink. They were staying in a somewhat bleak motel outside of Utrecht. To liven things up Flani suggested they would play a bit of music. I have posted one track of this session in the tribute to Zani (#10). If I remember correctly Zoumana himself suggested he would do one of his own songs. I was surprised about how familiar his voice sounded to me when he started singing "Sira Mougoulé" ("the well made path"), accompanying himself on the soku, the bambara fiddle.

I have since wondered about this. I had never heard him sing before, but still it seemed to me as if I had. His voice is well-matched with the instrument of which he is the undisputed master. Zoumana, by the way, disputes the suggestion that the soku has its origin in Wassoulou (as I see is also claimed on wikipedia). According to him the roots of the instrument are in Segou, and in the bambara music of Segou.

When I heard Zoumana Tereta play and sing again, a few days later at my own house, it dawned on me that I was listening to a voice from the past, a survivor from another era. The era of artists like Bazoumana Sissoko, Koni Coumaré, Fanta Damba and Tara Bouaré. An era of artists that had not succumbed to the (at times narrow-minded) taste of western moneymen. An era in which traditional music began the transition from the live performance in front of real people to the still images recorded in the sterile surroundings of a studio.

Recordings from 1999 (1 song from March 15, and 2 songs from March 20)*

Zoumana has played with everybody. In the eighties and nineties he played with Sali Sidibé, he replaced Aliou Traoré in Oumou Sangaré's band and in Badèma National, he performed and recorded with Bassekou Kouyaté, with Toumani Diabaté, with that sympathetic Samba Touré (who appears to have his own YouTube channel - or channels?), in fact with everyone who is anybody in Malian music... He has released two albums himself, "Niger Blues" (2003) and "Soku Fola" (2008), which are perhaps not so easy to get hold of (and - again - please correct me if I'm wrong).

Last October I saw him again. During a performance by Ethiopian azmaris (subject of a later post!) at the Patio, the - excellent - restaurant of the Institut Français (or the Centre Culturel Français or CCF as most Malians continue to call it) on October 26, 2011 he intervened, joined in. While it was interesting to see the merging of pentatonic styles, I was more interested to see him perform solo, - 12 years later.
I managed to record one or two of the songs he performed. He seemed very self-assured, matured, compared to 1999. And more extrovert too. It was clear that he had grown in stature in the last decade.

Seeing him unfortunately also filled me with nostalgia for my two friends who since those sessions in 1999 had passed away...

In the video you may note Lucy Duran reacting to the praises of Zoumana. Sitting to the left of me and noticeable at the end is Momo, the algerian (via Denmark and other parts of the world) host of the Patio.


* You may be interested to know that the 'percussion instrument' you can hear in both sessions is actually a box of matches. The instrumentalist is comedian Michel Sangaré.

Cure

To me these last few weeks have been very demanding. I am not a winter person, and have a strong tendency to feel culturally alienated when the whole of the Netherlands is in the grip of such - to me abhorrent and trauma-provoking - activities as skating. On ice, that is. I have been in various stages of cocooning, cut off from most public media with their constant incitement to partake in the winter 'fun', avoiding the mass hysteria and manic social derangement that went on in the freezing towns and villages of these usually moderate regions.

As an added bonus I was forced to play nurse, errand boy and cook to both wife and child as they, as a result of their involuntary participation in the same winter merrymaking, were knocked out with a sobering attack of the flu.

So I have resorted to a certified cure. To all ailments of the spirit and the soul. The positive energy of the immortal master of apala music, Haruna Ishola and his group. From the days prior to his visit to the holy place, it appears (no "Alhaji"). And although in the last part of side B there is mention of a "detention" (and this linked to the future Alhaji himself!!) I am convinced it must have all been a very unfortunate misunderstanding, and must have ended with the magistrates and police officers involved offering their humblest and sincerest apologies to the aggrieved but forgiving Baba Ngani.

Perhaps not the best quality record 'vinyl-wise', but good enough to help me through these rough winter times and to get me in the right mental mood for spring...

SRPS 21, 1975

Godgiven

Quite a few days have passed since I read - on the Mbokamosika blog - about the death of yet another Great of Congolese music. On Sunday January 29, 2012, less than a year and a half after his brother in music, Jean Serge Essous, Jean Dieudonné Malapet, better known as Nino Malapet has died in the military hospital in Brazzaville, - according to the Mbokamosika blog and other sources after a prolonged illness.

I do not intend to write a biography of this great artist. You can find some biographical details in this Mbokamosika post and more in this hommage on the same blog. I especially recommend the video on the bottom of the first of these two posts, which gives a good idea of the cheerful personality Nino Malapet was.

Instead I would like to focus on his musical heritage.

There have been some misunderstandings about the start of Nino Malapet's musical career. Although several sources claim that he worked - for a short while - at the Loningisa label, and it is possible that he recorded with the Franco*, he was certainly never a member of the O.K. Jazz, - unlike Essous and Saturnin Pandi, who both composed (and are named in) several songs. According to Lutumba Simaro Essous was even the first chef d'orchestre.
Nino stayed with the orchestra which had joined a few years before: Negro Jazz.

But Nino firmly stamped his mark on the music scene with the start of the Esengo label, on January 1, 1957. One of the big names of the Loningisa label, Henri Bowane, had persuaded Greek businessman Constantin Antonopoulos to finance a new record label and had subsequently recruited musicians from Loningisa, including two of the big boys from the O.K. Jazz (which had only been formed a few months earlier), singer Philippe Lando a.k.a. Rossignol and clarinetist Essous. The latter and conga player Pandi persuaded their longtime friend Nino Malapet to join them, and that was the start of one of the hottest orchestras in the history of Congolese music: Rock-a-Mambo. The very first two tracks to come out off this marriage of talents were "Les Voyous" and "Mi Cancion", composed and arranged by Nino Malapet.

Remarkably the first of these was an instrumental track, but an instrumental track that must have hit home hard with the Leopoldville scene. It was the first of many recordings by one of the legendary duos of Congolese music: the duo Essous (clarinet) - Malapet (sax). The second was what was to become the archetypical Malapet composition: a cha cha cha sung in spanish (and relatively good spanish too!!). It also, by the way, put the spotlight on another great legend of Congolese music: guitarist Tino Baroza.

In the - unfortunately - few years of Rock-a-Mambo's existence the combination Nino and Rock-a-Mambo was like a quality mark. It stood for a superb danceable tune and musical excellence.

I have collected some of Nino's compositions with Rock-a-Mambo. These are just of few of the many.
And that to me is one of the major mysteries in Congolese music: that so very little of the Esengo catalogue has been reproduced and reissued. A few songs have been re-released on Pathé lp's and on one or two anthologies. But a systematic and/or organised re-release of the great tunes by the great orchestras of the Esengo label, African Jazz, Rock-a-Mambo and the combination of the two, Rock-Africa, or even of the other orchestras - like Dewayon's Conga Jazz, the Negro Band, Kongo Jazz and Elegance Jazz - has never been produced! Going by the relatively few tracks that I have heard (some of these I have combined in this podcast), this can only be described as a disaster.

Nino Malapet et l'orchestre Rock-a-Mambo (Esengo 1957 - 1961)

I can understand Nino's reluctance to let go of a good thing, when in 1959 Essous and others moved back across the river to Brazzaville and formed Bantou Jazz. He stayed on with Rock-a-Mambo for almost another two years, until the orchestra disbanded. After a short attempt at studying law Nino was drawn back into music and rejoined his friend Essous at Les Bantous. Soon he went back to arranging and composing those typical Nino songs: "Oiga Mambo" (a song originally recorded and released with Rock-a-Mambo), "Tu Silencio", "Destino", "Ritmo Bantou" and many more.
Songs which, beside the distinct latin-congolese touch, share a neatness and love of music which makes Nino Malapet one of the alltime Greats of African music.

Collecting the songs from Malapet's - extensive - period with Les Bantous was actually easier than gathering those from his days with Rock-a-Mambo. His 'output' was less prolific, I suppose as a result of his changed position within the orchestra (he became the leader of the orchestra when Essous left in 1966) and the changing times (which demanded other music styles). He adapted well and now and then surprised with some absolute marvels. Personal favourites are "Suzy", from the "El Manicero" album which brought stardom to young singer Tchico, and "Gigi", a monumental composition with a brilliant buildup from the heyday of Les Bantous.

Nino Malapet will be sadly missed.

Nino Malapet et Les Bantous

* This must have been recordings made between the end of 1955 and June 1956, because between June 1956 (when the O.K. Jazz was founded) and January 1, 1957 (the start of the Esengo label) there are simply no recordings featuring a sax.

Edge

I've been cut off from the internet for a few days. Nothing to do with the copyright mobsters; I suppose it was just my internet provider's way of reacting to the cold spell we are experiencing here in the low countries.

So there is some catching up to do.

What better way to do so than to jump in at the deep end.
In this case into the music of the Fulani or Pular of the Foutah Djallon (or Fuuta Jaloo) in Guinée. This is one of those cassettes of which one suspects the (real) owner of the copyright has long forgotten about its existence. No cover, no details about the circumstances in which the recordings were made, the titles a mess*. So lots to fantasise, plenty to fill in....

The name on the cassette is "Farbatela", but I suppose this must be "Farba Téla". This is a qualification rather than a name. "Farba", according to Justin Morel, is a top ranking griot (or gawlo) in the Fouta, while "téla" means what it sounds like in english: "tailor". It is also the nickname of a singer and player of the kérôna (a type of lute, - examples of which can be heard here).
The names of the musicians are mentioned in the first song of the cassette, after about two minutes. My familiarity with the language is insufficient to deduce the full names, but there are one or two members of the Sow family, a Dabola and two Barry's, one of which - Mamadou - may very well be the same as the Mamadou Barry playing in the fourth track of the CD "Les Nyamakala du Fouta Djallon" (still available). In fact, it is possible that this is in essence the same group as the one playing in that track.

Except that in this cassette they are playing the rough version.
Because I think I should add a word of warning: this music is right on the very edge.

The singer with a voice that could cut through steel, a brilliant but unstoppable (electric) guitarist and an instrument which could very well be a modern version of the kérôna I mentioned before creating a rhythmic wall to lean against.

My current favourite on this cassette is "Diari", but this is one of those cassettes that will last you a lifetime.

cassette 7455 (1987)

* It has taken me years to fit the titles with the songs, as they appeared to be in a random order. I am still missing one...

Demivida

Back to Congo in this post, with some more of those superb and timeless recordings from the early 1960s. In this case two EP's re-released on the Columbia label, but originally recorded on the Esengo label.

I'm afraid I don't know anything, or very little, about these two orchestras. Orchestre Jamel seems to be the better known one of the two, and is mentioned twice in Gary Stewart's "Rumba On The River". First as "a group of young musicians on the way to bigger things", where Franco's brother Bavon Marie Marie played sometime between 1961 and 1964 (when he joined Négro Succes).
The second time the orchestra is mentioned in the context of the Trio Madjesi. Apparently Loko Massengo a.k.a. Djeskain was a member, also before joining Négro Succes.

The second orchestra, Orchestre Casanova, features in Michel Lonoh's "Essai de Commentaire de la Musique Congolaise Moderne"(from 1966). "Features" is perhaps exaggerated, as only the members are listed. According to this list a Mbasi Alof P. was the founder, - as well as the bass player. I assume he is the same person as Alof Kesther, who the cover of this EP cites as directing the orchestra in the first track. The man in charge of the second track, evocatively named Samy de Mivida, is - according to Lonoh - really called Lendo Samuel. He is not only a "chanteur tenor", but also the chef d'orchestre.
His nickname "de Mivida" fits in a certain 'tradition' of semi-francohispanic nicknames used by Congolese artists since the mid-1950s: "De la Lune" (Daniel Lubelo), "De la France" (Pierre Bazeta), plus of course "de Mi Amor" (Franco). Casanova takes this fashion a step further by also using it in the intriguing songtitle of the fourth track: "Amina Lapaloma" ("Amina the dove").

Musically Casanova offers three pleasant rumbas, with a predictable influence of their colleagues at Esengo, Kabasele's African Jazz. The vocal harmonies, however, are original. The last track, "Amina Lapaloma", is a cha-cha-cha, with nice guitar bits, - but not of the level of Rock-a-Mambo or the O.K. Jazz.

Columbia ESRF 1759

Compared to Casanova, Orchestre Jamel is - in my opinion - a more interesting orchestra. The four tracks in this EP are all in the category "merveilles du passé", with one track even in the top of that category. That track is the bolero "Martha Au Clair". In general I have a soft spot for Congolese boleros, but "Martha" scores on critical points: slightly messy but dramatic guitar, sonorous vocals and fantasy provoking lyrics (in kikongo). A hit.

Although the cover clearly states "enregistrement Esengo", I have found no sign of other recordings by Jamel on the Esengo label. To my knowledge they recorded for the Ngoma label (and I will post one of their EP's from that label in the future*). This may also explain the fact that the two rumbas on this EP are more in the O.K. Jazz style. Certainly the guitarist (Bavon M.M.?) shows no attempt whatsoever to hide or disguise this influence.
Added bonus on this EP is the track with the vaguely spanish sounding title "Abrabiente", a "cha-cha arto" (and why not?) with a strong influence by Les Bantous and very concise lyrics.

Columbia ESRF 1784

*if there is any future, with the rapid removal of blogs that is going on....

Bamana musow

I am still upset about the brusque (over)reaction by other filehost services to the injust and in my opinion illegal action taken against Megaupload. I sincerely hope the pause at the Global Groove blog will be a temporary one, and that all blogs dedicated to the unearthing of non-western music in general, and African and Latin music in particular, will carry on uncovering and promoting the artists which have not received the global recognition and acclaim they thoroughly deserve.

By way of an in-between post I would like to share with you these two great videos from Mali, both in a way related to Super Biton and Ségou.

The first is by a group fronted by three women, or girls if you like. I know absolutely nothing of this group, apart from the fact that they are (or were) called Balandzan, which at least suggests a connection with Biton (see my earlier post). I discovered this song on a tape with a mix of Malian artists, and immediately fell for the sheer joy and even cheekyness of the three girls. My guess is that they're singing about boys acting tough but not getting things done, which certainly seems an appropriate theme, - and not only in Mali.


The second video is another video by Assa Bagayogo, the daughter of Hawa Dramé, that grand dame of Bambara music. I have no idea why, but I am absolutely crazy about this music, plus that rather awkward, but strangely fitting way of dancing of Assa. It is, in my opinion, just as fitting and natural as the dancing of that girl in the Oumou Sangaré video.
Unfortunately I have just the two tracks, recorded by the RTM in 1990*, by Assa Bagayogo. If anyone has more, please step forward.....


*in my earlier post I suggested this was recorded in 1986. I should have studied the rest of the video better......

Volta power

There have been a number of releases of music from Burkina Faso in the last year or so. You may remember my anticipation at the release of "Ouaga Affair". I have to admit this anticipation turned into frustration after hearing the tragically strangled and muffled sound of this compilation.

Luckily the producers of the CD with the somewhat misleading title "Bambara Mystic Soul" learned from this mistake (at least I hope it was...) and released a far better sounding collection. Personally I was very happy with the highly improved versions of no less than six tracks by my hero Amadou Traoré dit Ballaké. But at the same time I think too many concessions were done to the funk fans, of which you may remember I am not a part.

Just before the end of last year Florent Mazzoleni, who I met in Bamako in October, sent me a copy of his book "Burkina Faso Musiques - Modernes Voltaïques". I have since had some time to actually read it, and I must say I loved it. Not only is it - as far as I know (and please correct me if I am wrong!) - the first book to be written about the modern music of Burkina Faso / Upper Volta, and as such of great value. But also it is a very readable and enjoyable book, with some absolutely fantastic photos. It is very hard to judge the factual information, but it appears to be at least very thorough. As such it clears up a lot of mysteries, for example about Amadou Ballaké's adventures in Guinée.

And if this is not enough, the book comes with a superb CD. Not one track by Amadou Ballaké, and still the best compilation of Voltaïque music to be released to date, if you ask me. I gather Florent shares my enthousiasm for the Volta Jazz song "Djougou Malola". I especially adore the killer track "Noglem Nooma" by the Harmonie Voltaïque. This is one of those ballad to completely melt away. Ay qué rico!

The appearance today of a new podcast (on the left) is no coincidence...

The single I would like to share with you in this post is also mentioned in Florent's book. I don't remember reading about the artist, but that is understandable given the quantity of talent in Upper Volta.

I particularly like the B-side. No doubt another song about the new constitution introduced in 1977 by president Lamizana and the "Renouveau" this implied, but brought with an almost disturbing pathos. By contrast the A-side seems casual, although the melody is catchy.

Nice music, but not of the standard of Florent's CD.

Club Voltaïque du Disque CVD 81

EDIT (February 22, 2012): It appears the book is not always sold with a CD. I did not know this. Florent Mazzoleni has informed me that the CD will be released separately, with a few tracks added, in the near future.
In the meantime I would advise to ask the seller if the CD is included when buying the book.
As to this being the first book on the modern music of Burkina Faso, I have been pointed out that there is in fact another, older, book available titled "Histoire de la Musique Moderne du Burkina Faso - Genèse, évolution et perspectives" by Auguste Ferdinand Kaboret and Oger Kabore (released by Edipap International, Burkina Faso / ISBN 2-914707-31-2). One to look out for.

EDIT:(October 30, 2012): The link has been removed by Mediafire:
"Dear MediaFire User:

MediaFire has received notification under the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") that your usage of a file is allegedly infringing on the file creator's copyright protection. The file named Traore Ablo et l'Orchestre du Peuple Melodie Volta (Disques CVD CVD 81, 1977).rar is identified by the key (i76rdv948romkru). As a result of this notice, pursuant to Section 512(c)(1)(C) of the DMCA, we have suspended access to the file.

The reason for suspension was:

    BDM user "lachandra" says: Hello, My Name is Hervé Lemaire , CEO of LeakID, I am legal representative of lemaire which does business under the name Metropolitan, Authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. You are hereby given notice valid under the DMCA copyright infringement notification requirements, 17 U.S.C.512. I am the designated agent of the owner of the copyrights of the images and audio/visual works listed below. I believe that the images and audio/visual works listed at the times cited below are being copied and distributed in a manner that has been not authorized by the owner of the copyrights, its agent or the law. All link below containing pirated versions of lemaire copyrighted works. The information in the notice is accurate, under penalty of perjury. Please remove all linksAs soon as possible, we will check them everyday. Thanks to inform us about y our actions. We appreciate your efforts toward this common goal. Very truly yours, Hervé Lemaire Leakid 15 bis rue de chateaudun 92250 La garenne colombes France 0033698211000 Contact lemaire Expendables "

It appears M. Lemaire has taken it upon himself to defend the rights of (even) Burkinabé artists, - or perhaps the whole world? See wikipedia and many other sites.